The Last Dragoner: Draconic Crusade
by ChaoticRetribution
Summary: Reis attempts to discover the truth behind death and its secrets. Act4: Disarmed, facing overwhelming odds, what can she do? FFT:7:8:10 completed, next episode underway.
1. Act1:Glimmer of Hope:End of the Lion War

_It's been a while since I haven't talked to you…_

_  
Please…say something…Beowulf…_

_Anything._

Weeping over the bloody, battered body of her fiancé, Reis Dular was the last person standing in the battle against the devil that the Ivalicians called the Son of God; St. Ajora, the bloody angel. Reis pressed her hand against Beowulf's neck, trying to feel a pulse; moments passed, not a single one felt.

_He's dead. Dead. Gone forever._

Rage coursed through the dragoner's limbs. Uncontrolled, wild, destructive. Grasping the handle of Beowulf's rune-engraved blade, she charged at Ajora, avoiding a bolt of dark light by a deft swerve; dragging the sword along the wooden deck of the ghost ship, she suddenly brought up the sword's tip, slashing Ajora's arm.

'You!' Ajora spat, 'I thought I had destroyed you for good when I banished that man!'

'That man! That man you speak of,' Reis shouted through gritted teeth, 'He is my fiancé! And to speak of it so casually, I will never forgive you!'

Cleaving the Bloody Angel's hand off with a clean stroke of her fiancé's sword, Reis swung the blade madly in an uncontrollable madness; every part of her body radiated rage and chaos. Struck in the shoulder by a kick from the fallen saint, Reis didn't care the least about the throbbing bruise now in her arm; it was better for her to avenge Beowulf and die in the process than to save herself and let the Bloody Angel live.

With a decisive swing, Reis had sliced off St. Ajora's wings; the crimson feathers fell to the ground, limp and damp with blood. Now on the ground, without hands, the fallen saint was helpless.

'How do you like your pain to be served, filthy creature?' Reis shouted, glaring at Ajora, 'You'd like to taste something that you like, wouldn't you? Well, how about this?'

A scream split the darkness as Reis sheared off the fallen angel's legs; incinerating them with a fiery blaze, Reis kicked down the limbless body.

_Watch your death avenged, Beowulf…Ramza…everyone who died here…_

Holding her hand to the Bloody Angel's face, Reis concentrated deeply for a few moments…finally shouting out the death sentence.

'Flare!'

The Bloody Angel screamed as the blast burned away his face; the sheer heat melting away the skin on his face, binding them to his skull…before his entire head vaporised, only ashes left on the ground.

Turning away from the smoking corpse, Reis discovered Alma, lying in a heap on the edge of the rotting deck; hoisting the youngest Beoulve onto her shoulders, she searched for the body of Ramza.

_Nowhere to be found…curse that St. Ajora. At least the youngest Beoulve is still alive, asleep and slightly burned, but quite alive._

Picking up the body of Beowulf with her other arm, Reis placed the sword she held back into its proper sheath; caressing Beowulf's cold skin with her hand.

_Why did this have to happen to him? Why? _

'I'll take you back…' Reis said softly, bending over to kiss him on the cheek, 'You don't belong here, none of us do,'

_Even though I don't know how to get back to Ivalice, there must surely be a way back out. As Beowulf often puts it, if there's a way in, there's a way out._

A blue object tinkled out of Beowulf's pocket; stooping over, Reis picked it up.

_A crystal. I can feel a strange power emanating from its cool surface; is it…responding to me? Surely…not? I've been saved by the power of the Cancer stone, have I not? Doesn't that mean I can only…_

'_Your hope and your sadness have called me to you,'_

…_! What was that!_

'_It must be hard, losing one most precious and close to you,'_

_Indeed it is…but who…where?_

'_Though I cannot raise him up once again, I may at least take you back to the place where you want to go,'_

…_Where are you? I can't see you._

'_You're holding me right now,'_

Blinking in confusion, Reis stared at the glowing blue crystal, observing the Aquarius sign glowing in the dim light. Did this speak to her?

_I want…to be back in Ivalice. To protect this girl. To let her live a normal life._

'_Then your wish is granted,'_

'_You have banished the evil leader of the Lucavi. It is the least I can do,'_

The grim wreckage faded away from sight, a swirling palette of colour and light blending and blurring away into darkness. Reis could feel an invisible force gripping her tightly; binding her hand about the stone and her body rigidly in place. Landing uncomfortably on hard rock, she could feel her senses returning; the sight of rocky highlands, interspersed by tufts of grass, the clear blue skies overhead, dotted by wispy clouds; the smell of meadows.

_This is Ivalice…the real Ivalice…oh God…thank you so much, stone…_

'_It is the least I can do,'_

Bending over to pick up Alma and Beowulf, Reis bumped her head against something hard and scaly; something quite familiar to her.

'Hmm, I guess I'm in Bervenia. How are you, dragon?'

'_Not too bad, thank you. You are Miss Dular, are you not?' _the dragon hissed, '_Why is master Beowulf in such a terrible state? And who is this girl?'_

'Ah…' Reis stammered, 'That's…that's…don't worry about it. It is not something…I'd like to talk about…'

And with that she broke down into tears once more; the memories of Beowulf too painful for her to bear. She could remember every moment he spent with her, how he had saved her from a house fire in her youth, how he gave shelter to her in his dormitory of Lionel barracks…it was too much, to remember the deeds of a dead man whom she had loved since her childhood.

---A month after the battle against St. Ajora…---

Reis picked away at a patch of blue flowers in a plain. Living far away from the major cities of Ivalice, she had been branded as a heretic by the church—along with Beowulf and Ramza, as well as all the other people of their group. Alma was still safe, however; Reis' powerful connections with dragons permitted her to make friends with most of the dragons in the high plateau of Bervenia. Knowing the ferocity of the dragons against strangers, she knows that nobody will approach the area.

Gathering all the flowers in her hands, she walked gracefully over to a stone tomb, her eyes dull with sadness. Depositing them over the grave, she collapsed upon the cold stone, crying over Beowulf's resting place. The image of his death haunted her still; that terrible blow to his chest; the knight's ribs crushed by the sheer power of the strike that was intended for her. All those images remained clear within her mind; a nightmarish vision, a cruel vision, haunting her every day. His last words she will never forget, even though it meant torturous hours and days for years on end…she must live for Beowulf.

A gunshot rang into the air, and a youth dressed in yellow, spattered with oil and riding a fine yellow chocobo, approached her, followed by a pair of dragons. Reis stood up immediately, attempted to put on a smile but failed; producing instead a gloomy sadness.

"Mustadio! What are you doing here, so far away from Goug Machine City?" she asked, wiping the tears away from her eyes. She walked forwards and stroked the dragons on the neck, calming them down and sending them gently away.

Mustadio dismounted, bowing to her. He produced from his pocket a scroll, which he gave to Reis. Reis unfurled it immediately, scanning rapidly through the lines of writing. Her eyes opened wide in mixed shock and excitement, a joy that had been inexistent to her for a month.

"Come to Goug, we will allow you to use the machine described there to lighten your worries," Mustadio said, smiling. He pulled out a short stool from the chocobo saddle, and bowed to Reis again, who smiled and climbed on the chocobo, which was then mounted by Mustadio.

--End of Chapter 1--


	2. Unknown Powers

Over hills and valleys the two riders passed, sharing the same mount; travelling from Bervenia to Goug, of which they have not yet reached. Reis was beginning to lose her patience. She could scarcely wait to see the machine that Mustadio and Besrodio had dug up in the machine mines of Goug. It was not often that one finds a machine specifically for the benefit of another person; let alone one that strangely matched their needs.

The roar of a waterfall could be heard ahead; the road changing from a smooth paved surface to a craggy rock path, worn and frayed by the ravages of time. The soil was moist, almost muddy, as though of a swamp. A bridge of half-rotten planks spanned the foam-filled ravine, suspended by a weather-beaten rope. Moss grew upon its posts, a mark of how old it was.

_This could be no other than Zirekile Falls…my, how long has it been since I gazed upon this place. I haven't visited this place since I've been cursed into a dragon some time ago._

A hooded wizard stood in the middle of the bridge, cloaked in the darkest shade of midnight black. His face remained in the shadows, covered by the broad brim of his straw hat.

'Pardon me, but could you please move? You're blocking the road,' Mustadio asked the wizard, reining back the chocobo.

'I shall not,' the wizard replied; a steely tone within his voice struck a note in Reis' mind. She had heard that somewhere before…a long time before.

_That dark, chilling tone that still haunts the darkest corners of my mind…could that be…_

Advancing on the chocobo, the black mage leered towards Reis; the gleam of his grey eyes unlike any other wizard, a long, hooked nose visible in the sun.

"Buremonda!" she hissed loudly, contempt distorting her fine features, 'You're still alive! After all those years, I thought you'd be dead, your conspiracy against me and my noble fiancé discovered; I guess I'm wrong. Your wrongs against me have still remained clear in my mind; you, who have thrown me into twelve years of solitude; twelve years of suffering and pain, dare come in my way, an impudent fool, weak as you ever were, or perhaps even weaker. I suggest you should move—now, or be slain without regard,'

"Calm down, Reis," he spoke slowly, "I will end your suffering now,"

A black shadow was gathering within the gilded hook of the dark priest's staff; pulses of evil streaming forth from the vortex of darkness, echoing the very scream he uttered as his spirit bound itself with the Lucavi. Distorted, misshapen, he became the very embodiment of evil; hordes of flies flew about his head, skeletal and skinless.

The dark priest had become Beelzebub, the lord of chaos.

'Your life will end here, as it will for those that protect you!' he shouted, a foul odour spreading thickly across the ground; it was of carrion and rotten flesh, 'This time, your fiancé will not be here to protect you, as he did years ago; had he not interfered, your soul should be mine, mine alone, mine to keep and love!'

'What do you know about love?' Reis asked, her voice shaking in rage, her hands balled into fists as she dismounted the chocobo, 'You've never loved me; it was for you—and your own greed and self-satisfaction that you wanted me—if you truly loved me, then you should have been happy that _I_ was happy…and not only yourself, as you are now,'

'Silence!' Buremonda shrieked, raising a pallid, rotting finger, 'You've occupied my attention since you've arrived at Lionel's cathedral to study under Cardinal Draclau; distracted me from my studies of greater magic, even stealing his favour from me! I! I, the one who was once his favourite, his greatest student, intended to be the next leader of the Murond Glabados Church; I discarded that for your hand, which you've never given to me; instead proffering it to a lowly commander of the Lionel Temple Knights. What have I not given for you? I've sacrificed my ambition, my mind and my time for you; not one favour have I received back,'

'You're wrong,' Reis growled, 'Beowulf isn't the lowly commander you think he is. And you haven't given everything you have for me; and I don't need it either. Leave. Now,'

'Oh, so you're content to be the wife of a whore, an unranked officer in the Lionel army?'

_That did it. He's insulted me enough, and he's insulted Beowulf enough. He may be in another place, but that doesn't mean he can insult his memory freely!_

Rage welled up within Reis' flesh, mind and body, coursing through the blood pounding through her veins; surrounded by a fierce silver glow, her arms and legs lengthened, her golden sheets of hair transformed into a fiery golden mane. Pale skin turned to silver scale as she transformed a dragon. Breathing a frozen flame, she rounded up on Buremonda.

'You shall see,' Reis roared, 'What vengeance I have for you, what vengeance my Beowulf has for you, and what destruction awaits you,'

In her fury, Reis swiped one furious claw across his arm, severing it completely; the rotting flesh lay on the edge of the bridge, balanced precariously before falling into the white foam beneath. Embers and sparks flew from her nostrils, a precursor to a fiery wave of heat and smoke, incinerating in an instant her opponent; a charred, blackened carcass remained behind, light wisps of smoke rising from the cracks of his burned skin.

Tossing the corpse into the river, Reis spat on the bridge, watching the river swallow her nemesis in jagged teeth of stone and wildly swirling water. Reis, suddenly realising that she was again on four feet, quickly ran off towards the water.

There she was, reflected in the glossy surface of the flowing river. A silver dragon, bearing a golden mane. She could not believe it. After all this time, she had to become a dragon again? No…this cannot be, she thought. I must not remain a dragon for eternity again.

As she thought of that very thought, not becoming a dragon, she was once again enveloped in silver light, shrinking, standing up straight. She was once again Reis—at least the human Reis.

Quickly switching between the two forms of herself a couple of times, Reis finally realized the gift that had been given to her: she could now transform at will.

Dashing over to Mustadio, she told him the gift that had been given to her. Mustadio smiled, though he flushed bright red in the cheeks. Perplexed, Reis asked him, "Why are you blushing?"

Mustadio replied softly, "Miss Reis, you have nary a single piece of clothing on,"

She looked down herself. Indeed, in her rapid transformations, she had overlooked the fact that dragons _are _bigger than humans. Blushing bright scarlet, she quickly hid behind the chocobo's wings, which seemed to understand Reis's embarrassment.

Mustadio sprinted for Zaland, purchasing a set of linen robes for Reis, and run back again. By evening, he had arrived back, holding out the clothes for Reis and panting loudly, perspiration dripping on his face.

Quickly dressing herself, she noticed a gleaming crystal on the patch of ground near the charred remains of Buremonda. Putting her arm through a sleeve, she picked up the stone with the free hand.

It was a zodiac stone, one marked with Cancer, the crab. She pocketed it, thinking that even if it were just a stone with no use now, it may be a treasure for others later.


	3. The Prophet of the Dead

Upon arrival in Goug Machine City, Reis quickly ran to Mustadio's workshop, the owner running at her heels. She was quite eager to see this machine, one that Mustadio had described in his paper as being 'able to transport people between dimensions'…possibly even to the land of the dead, she thought.

Mustadio pressed the steel switch labeled 'on' on the sphere-like golden surface of the machine. There were about four rounded gaps in the surface, each with a coloured gem inserted in the hollow. A flat, rectangular crystal panel sat on top of the globe, flanked on either side with a series of strings inside a felt-covered box.

A series of random scenes flashed through the panel, followed by random buzzing from the strings. The screen turned black and silence enveloped the room. A slide with two hand-patterns drawn on them slid out from a tray at the middle of the globe, stopping in front of Reis.

Uncertain of what to do, Reis placed her hands on the hand patterns. A green glow surrounded her slender fingers, and then subsided.

'Reis? Reis? Is that you?' a familiar voice said from the vibrating strings.

It sounded a little soft, as though the speaker was distant.

Reis recognised it at once, the voice that she had longed to hear for a month.

'Beowulf!' she yelled, jumping for joy. Tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks.

'Where are you?' he asked.

'I'm in Mustadio's workshop, talking to you through a machine he discovered,'

'Oh…so that's why I can't see you anywhere,'

Reis was overjoyed. Her months of loneliness-at least the ones that were meant to follow-were subsiding away with this great find. She jumped when she heard another familiar voice.

'Reis? How is my sister?' the voice of Ramza Beoulve said through the strings.

She had forgotten about Alma.

'Umm…errh…she's fine,' she stuttered, unable to find an excuse for leaving her behind. Ramza's instructions she had not followed very strictly, even from the start.

'May I please speak to her?' Ramza whispered.

This was the very thing that Reis was afraid of.

'She's gone shopping somewhere in the city,' Reis said, the excuse the only one she could think of.

'I thought I had told you to watch over her,' Ramza said, voice dripping with disappointment, 'Why did you let her leave?'

A silence fell on the workshop.

Meanwhile…

A red dragon approached Alma, who thought that Reis had been gone for an extremely long trip down to Beowulf's grave. The red dragon spoke to her in a broken human speech, the voice still coarse and animalistic.

'Reis still gone. She at Goug. She tell me to bring you Goug. Jump, my back. We go now. She said urgent,' the dragon said, struggling for the right words. Reis had apparently used her telepathic link with dragons to call the nearest one to Alma.

Alma clambered uncertainly onto the red dragon's back, who spread its wings and took off with a blast of wind backwards.

Over hills and through clouds they went, sailing through the skies at an incredible pace. Flocks of chocobos could be seen in the green fields below, scattering at the (apparently) terrifying view of the large dragon. Alma was certain that she saw Lionel castle after five minutes of flying, with Zigolis Swamp below them after another minute. Landing on a dry plateau just outside Goug, the dragon led Alma into the city, ignoring the gapes and gasps from passers-by.

She went to the centre of the city, looking back behind her as the dragon took off into the skies again. Reis was waiting there, examining all the exits for Alma. Eventually she spotted Alma, and the two left for Mustadio's workshop.

Ramza's voice could be heard from the strange machine, demanding Mustadio to let him speak with his sister. Thinking that it would be wise to leave Alma to speak with Ramza, she left the room, and collapsed on a chair. Mustadio returned to the workshop, muttering something about 'work' and 'must go'.

Reis woke up some time in the evening after being woken up by Mustadio.

'Reis, I have a favor to ask of you…' Mustadio said, clasping his hands together.

'What is it?' Reis asked, rubbing her eyes.

'I believe that you have the twelve Zodiac Stones?'

'Yes, that is true. I picked up the twelfth after I killed Buremonda…why, that evil…(she swore)…'

'May I please ask you to place them all on a table?'

She did exactly that, wondering what Mustadio was going to do. There was the twelve stones, glimmering in different colours. He picked up two of them, and placed them together. Strangely enough, it was a perfect fit. Piecing the other parts together, he formed a sphere of multicoloured gems. Confused, Reis simply stood there.

The sphere burst into light, illuminating the entire room in a blinding white light. Once or twice Reis thought a voice was whispering in her ear about 'the crystal of creation'. What on earth could this mean, she thought.

When the light had subsided, Reis found a glossy blue stone in the middle of the table. She picked it up, feeling considerable power within the stone, powerful and yet gentle.

'I think this may have something to do with the machine,' Mustadio told her, 'Come,'

Reis followed Mustadio into the workshop, where Alma was still talking rapidly to Ramza. After telling the two to quit talking for now, they inserted the sphere into the recess at the side of the machine.

It rumbled and shook, a crack neatly appearing in the middle. The two halves separated, revealing a flat plate of some material on the ground. Sparks of energy flew from it, gently rising before falling down again, dissipating without a trace.

'What do you think this could be?' she asked Mustadio, puzzled.

'We can't tell until we've used it,'

'I will use it then…who knows if it will take me to Beowulf?'

'A little risky…but alright,' Mustadio said, catching the look in her eye.

She stepped onto the platform. The world around her began to fade. She could see Mustadio shouting something, but it was inaudible. Everything faded to black and she knew no more of it.


	4. Unwelcome Darkness

As things swam back into focus for Reis, she could tell that something was different. There weren't any strange machines around, nor was she in a small workshop. She was in the open, in the middle of a frozen crossroads. Gazing around, she could make out a few gigantic shells, with what appeared to be glimmering rocks for lights and small holes for windows. Crystalline structures nearly three times her height resembled trees, and considering that she was fairly tall these 'trees' were giant indeed.

Taking a few steps down the cobbled road, she heard a faint rustling sound in the soft snow behind her. Diving into a frosted bush, Reis peered out towards the source of the sound.

A figure moved quickly across the same path that she went on. From what Reis could make out, it was a woman wearing a pink skirt, with a short red jacket. Wondering what on earth she could be doing here, Reis decided that it would be best to follow her.

She was on the verge of transformation before she remembered something. Taking off her blouse, she undressed completely, placing the clothes in a neat pile and tying them with the strap on her blouse. Now she could transform.

Standing in the bitter cold, Reis thought of becoming a dragon once more, shivering as she did. Alas, being undressed in a frozen plain is not a good idea…

A familiar flash of light, expansion of the body, and down on all fours. Reis picked up the pile of clothes and placed it on her back before running after the woman, dashing as quickly as her four legs would carry her. Cold was no longer a matter of importance to her; at least while she is transformed.

The red-and-pink figure sneaked into a giant spiral shell, entering through a timber door at the bottom of it. The spiral shell was built above a watery lake, not frozen like all the other water sources were.

Pushing the door open as quietly as it is possible for a dragon; Reis crept into the shadowy interiors of the shell. A hidden staircase had been revealed in the thicket of kelp in the centre of the shell; it was still dripping with water. Treading her way carefully down the slippery steps, Reis inched her way down into the unknown…

Down she went, down numerous amounts of steps, at least one hundred down. It went in a great curve right around a small chapel, linking the chapel with what is above the ground. The red figure was kneeling down in the chapel's gazebo, which sat atop a coral pillar.

Lying down flat in the shadows, slightly to one side of the woman, Reis observed what she was doing.

Apparently this person was praying; her hands were clasped together in prayer, face serene and tranquil. A small, green stone sat on her hair clip, an iridescent glow emanating from it.

She sat there for a minute or two. Reis simply waited, captivated by the calm and peacefulness of the woman. That was something that she had never had, the calm she never had been able to reach, the peace too troublesome to work for.

Catching the flash of something far above the woman, Reis thought that it was time to get up. Speeding down the shining object went, slicing through the air downwards—towards the praying woman. Reis, detecting the immediate danger, reacted within a split second; making a great leap, she leapt across from her hiding spot to knock over the praying woman, thus knocking her out of harm's way.

The rasp of steel entering flesh, that gush of warm fluid, the incapacitating pain of a sharp blade slicing the body. Reis let out a scream (which turned out as a roar, given her dragon form) as the sharp blade of a katana thrust through her back down to her stomach. Instinctively snapping at the source of the pain, Reis bit into something hard and yet covered in flesh.

A silver-haired man she had between her teeth, beating madly against her powerful head. Slamming the man into the ground, Reis stamped down onto the man with a heavy claw. Breathing fire upon the downed attacker, she thought she had roasted him alive—only to see that he disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few cursing words and a trail of anger. Transforming back into human form, Reis stood there in the gazebo, a katana still in her stomach through her back.

Now realising the full extent of the pain, Reis began to lose the strength in her knees. Collapsing down flat onto the ground, Reis felt the blade being slowly removed by someone. If this were true pain, it would be much better to end it now…end it now, she thought, wishing that the person who drew that terrible sword would cleave her head off, ending her suffering.

Instead a cure spell found its way to her, healing to some extent the pain.

'Please don't think that,' a gentle voice said, 'You have much to live for,'

Reis simply nodded to say that she understood, unable to speak. Her blood was staining the floor. She could feel it—a warm fluid slowly spreading from her open wound.

'Yo, Aeris, what's going on here?' a rough voice hollered down from above. Great. More visitors. As if it isn't dignified enough being naked on the floor, with an open wound still letting blood. There was a gasp, and an unwelcome 'WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT OTHER WOMAN!'

That was just too much. Everything seemed to fade again for Reis, just like when she arrived to this place. Sounds, vision, smells…everything disappeared into a pitch black silence.


	5. Fragments of Memories

A brilliant flash of white light, zooming through the darkened hallways of memory. That was all Reis remembered after falling unconscious. A cold wind whistled through the dark and narrow corridor.

Standing up, Reis walked over to the nearest thing that caught her eye. A painting, of herself during childhood. She placed her hand upon the coarse canvas, reminiscing about the happy days then. It was nearly as though she were there once again; the singing of the songbirds of the forest, the pearly white, fluffy clouds drifting gently across the sky. She thought once she saw the young form of herself within her reminiscence; an energetic, wild girl, vast sheets of flowing blonde hair trailing behind her as she skipped and played around in the forest clearing.

She shook the memory away from her. Once again she was in the cold, windy corridor of memory; the vision had been simply a hallucination, she thought. Then, traveling down the cobbled tunnel, another portrait caught her eye.

A flaming house, collapsing to the earth. A number of people on the ground, slain. Reis drew a gasp and clapped her hands to her mouth. This was the killing of her family by bandits, when she was only fourteen. She leant against the landscape, sobbing away at the reminder of her sufferings.

Once again the strange visions appeared. She felt once again the heat of the flames upon her face, the blood of her family soaking her bare feet. Reis knew that the only reason she survived—was because of Beowulf. He was a cadet back then, on holiday leave, only seventeen years of age. She would not forget the day that Beowulf let her survive-valiantly defending her, cleaving asunder flesh and bone, steel and leather. Not a bandit touched her once. Falling on her knees, Reis grieved on the death of her family-a terrible reminder to the grave disaster.

The vision faded away, leaving Reis wondering why she was on the ground sobbing, the cold air causing her blonde sheets to fan out in the draught. Running down the dark corridor trying to forget the darkness of the place, she stumbled on a statue.

'Where are you going, Reis?' the statue asked her, in a disturbing echoing voice, as though mocking.

'Come back here, Reis,' another spoke, crashing down in front of her when she tried to double back.

'We know you are afraid,' they both spoke in chorus.

'Stop it! Stop it!' Reis shouted, clapping her hands to her ears, 'I don't want to see the scenes of destruction anymore. Please, let me return to…to…'…and then she faltered, and stopped talking. She didn't know where this was. She didn't know if this was real. She didn't know if she was still even alive.

'We are your deepest fears,' one growled, sneering menacingly into her face.

'You will confront us here, in the land of memory, before you will return to whence you came from,'

They advanced on her, driving her backwards, until she was pinned to the frosty stone wall. Recoiling in shock, she knew she had to fight or die.

Transforming into a dragon, she reared up onto two legs, allowing the statues to rush forward.

Striking down on one with a heavy claw, she shattered a part of one. However, the other stamped down on her rear leg with a sickening _thud_.

Reis roared again, anger powering her next strike. Sweeping her tail in a wide arc, she caught the statue that had crushed her leg around the middle, shattering it to powder. The other she struck again, this time with both claws. It too crumbled to dust, the soft powder slowly eroding away by the wind.

Limping forwards, further along the tunnel, holding back the pain that stabbed away at her mind, she discovered another image.

It was Beowulf, presenting her with an engagement ring. She remembered this quite clearly; it was the very day that Buremonda transformed her into a dragon. No—it wasn't his intention to turn her into a dragon. She knew that Lionel Temple's high priest was jealous of Beowulf, how he had received her love. The very spell that cast Reis into years of loneliness and depravity was not meant for her—it was for Beowulf. Ironically, she had taken the full blast of the spell—saving Beowulf, Buremonda shocked at what he had done; instead of removing his opposition, he had cursed away the woman that he loved.

The familiar rush of air, and back to the tunnel. The end of it was visible now—a tiny dot of white light was visible at the end, small, distant, and yet there. She jogged—the memories were refreshed in her mind. Her young years of happiness floated to mind. Smiling, she recounted the days of her happiness, the peace reigning on Ivalice. Those were the good years of her life…if only they had lasted, even for a month longer during these times.

She ran. Memories of grief and sorrow rose to the front of her mind next. The brutal murder of her family…her condemnation to years of solitude and sorrow. Of not being able to meet her family and friends again. She had her revenge on them—Buremonda she had dispatched to the Abyss, and the bandits Beowulf had slain for her.

The light was quite near now, and she ran through that shining gateway…


	6. Steam and Icicle

'Is she fine?'

_Am I? I don't think so…_

'Yes, I think so…'

_You think I am…?_

'Really? Thank goodness,'

_For what?_

'I thought she was dead for a moment,'

_Ha…ha…ha…did I really look dead?_

'Hush, she's waking up…'

Reis blinked. She was lying down on a soft white bed. Silvery snow could be just visible in the narrow window at the side. A face appeared above her.

'Good morning,' the girl said shyly, 'Are you OK?'

'Yes, I am feeling quite healthy, thank you for your concern,' Reis replied, attempting to smile, but failed. She remembered saving a girl, but which one…

'I'm Aeris, who are you?' the girl asked her, offering her a hand.

_Aeris. That was her name. This was the girl that I saved._

'I'm Reis, it is good to meet you, Aeris,'

'I thought you were dead back then in the Forgotten City,'

_Really…_

'I guess it was pure luck that I survived,'

'I think so too…that wound that you took…(she indicated to the bandaged part of her stomach) …seemed fatal at first. But thank the Planet for letting you live, and I thank you for saving me from death,'

Reis tried to sit up. An agonizing sensation of muscle being torn spread through her lower body. Lowering herself back down, she placed a hand on her wound.

It was a deep cut into her stomach, just below her ribs. So deep that it went right through her. _It was a miracle that I survived, _she thought.

Aeris quickly worked a spell on Reis, with the aid of a small green stone. Instantly, she felt no more pain, but she could tell the would was not mended yet. Hoisting herself off the bed, she hugged Aeris.

'I can never tell you how much I am grateful for you taking me here,' Reis said, tears trickling from her eyes.

'Oh, no, it should be ME that is thanking you. Had you not pushed me out of the way I would have been dead by now,'

'Either way, we owe each other something…'

The two smiled at each other. By an odd twist of fate, the stranger that Reis rescued had healed her. Strange, how people who you rescue save you in the end.

'Are you feeling alright?' Aeris asked her, 'You look really tired and badly in need of rest,'

Reis nodded, and then walked over to the mirror. There she was, reflected in the mirror. Not the old Reis. Her golden sheets of hair had streaks of darker and duller blonde in them, and her already-slim body had thinned out further to reveal bony ribs and very little stomach. Fair-skinned she was before-but pale, even in comparison with the snow, now.

She shook her head. _I could not believe this, _she thought. Once a beautiful woman beyond measure, she had now degenerated into a less beautiful, but still attractive, woman. The pain began to prick at her wounds again, and she was forced to return to her bed and lay down.

Aeris took up a light snack and a cup of steaming tea to Reis. She had realized that in her joy to meet her beloved Beowulf again, she had not eaten a thing for at least two days. Politely thanking Aeris, she took the meal and began to eat.

'So, Reis, where did you come from?' Aeris asked.

'I came here through a strange machine from the land of Ivalice,' Reis replied, setting down an empty cup of tea and refilling it.

'Ivalice…I've heard of that name somewhere,' Aeris replied, gazing blankly into space, 'I think I might have heard it from the spirits of the Planet,'

_She can talk to the dead? That's incredible…_

'Really?' Reis queried, wiping her mouth with the napkin, 'I didn't expect anyone to believe me,'

'Of course I do,' Aeris replied, smiling widely. It was one of the sweetest smiles Reis had ever seen.

The door burst open and Reis nearly dropped the breakfast tray in shock.

'Yo, Aeris, is that girl fine now?' asked a dark man with a vast gun for an arm. He looked fearsome, with that day-growth of beard and the awesome size of the gun.

'Yes, I think so, Barret. At least she isn't bleeding copiously like when we took her from the Forgotten City,'

'She's got to be one of the finest chicks that I've seen,' he said, 'Second to Tifa though,' he quickly added, after a young woman stood next to him with arms crossed.

_Really? He thinks that of me?_

'Come on, Aeris, we have to get to the Northern Cave to stop Sephiroth,'

_Wait…there's something I forgot to ask…_

'Aeris, please wait a second for me,' Reis called to the doorway, struggling to her feet again. The pain began to stab again at her stomach but she didn't care.

Aeris walked back into the room, and steadied Reis.

'What is it, Reis?'

'Well…it's that I might be able to help you…' she started, fingers crossed, 'but if only I could become invisible for a second to not have to endure great embarrassment,'

'What do you mean?' Aeris asked, puzzled.

'Oh-er...uh…well, I can transform into a dragon,' Reis answered, blushing a light pink, 'But then I must avoid destroying my clothes at the same time,'

'That's simple enough,' Aeris told her, 'Use this,'

She tossed over a small, round, green stone, carved all over with runic inscriptions.

'How do I use this?' Reis asked, feeling foolish.

'Wish to the Planet that you want to become invisible for the time,'

Reis concentrated for a moment, grasping the small green stone tightly in her hand. She felt a heated sensation spreading through her body, from her heart to her fingertips. Looking down at her hand—or where it was a second ago—there was nothing there.

'How do I become visible again?'

'The same way you became invisible,'

She wished again, and her hand materialized in front of her.

'YO! AERIS!' a loud voice shouted from the bottom of the stairs, 'AIN'T YOU GONNA BE COMIN' ALONG!'

'Yes, I will, Barret! However it won't be today, it's too late for us to leave today,' Aeris shouted back. Turning to Reis, she said, 'I'm sorry about that,'

'It's alright,' Reis replied, smiling. Being with this person…has a comforting feeling about it.

'So, tell me…about Ivalice…and what brought you here,' Aeris said, eyes looking curiously at Reis.

She began to tell her life story, about her meeting with Ramza at Goland Coal mines, her grief during those times, the joy of meeting her long-lost love again and all the events up to the defeat of St. Ajora. Aeris nearly cried during a few of the stories that Reis told, her pity for Reis greater than ever before. The tragic deaths of Ramza and Beowulf apparently touched Aeris' gentle soul.

Aeris led Reis down the staircase, helping her along. Barret and Tifa were sitting at a table in the side hall, enjoying a rather noisy drinking game (though no alcohol; the red dog next to Barret kept knocking the wine bottles over as soon as they arrived). The two kept descending the wooden staircase, until they arrived in a small stone chamber.

There was a tub of steaming water in the corner, large enough to fit a person in it. Soaps lay stacked along the wall, the excess water flowing away into a rusting steel drain. Aeris guided Reis over to a wooden stool, where she carefully slid off the dragoner's silk skirt and dress.

'You need to clean your wounds and get the blood out of your hair,' she explained, seeing as Reis was about to protest, 'Otherwise you would get a possible infection from the wound and attract attention from everyone,'

Reis stopped protesting, allowing her blood-stained bandages to be removed gently by the Ancient. Underneath them was a section of matted, dried blood, punctured in the middle by a deep incision into Reis' soft skin. Aeris gently washed the wound, hesitating when she saw the agonized expression on the other woman's face; but when Reis muttered 'It's ok, I'll be fine' she resumed the cleansing of the wound.

After the wound had been cleaned thoroughly of blood (to no little pain on the account of Reis), Aeris produced a bottle of sweet-smelling fluid from within one of her pockets. She dabbed some of this on the wound with a soft cotton fragment, which immediately caused Reis to cease her pained groans.

Next came the hair; Reis' hair was covered in her own dried blood, a reminder of the amount of blood spilled by Sephiroth when his blade sliced through her body. The thick golden locks Aeris washed over with a bucketful of water, and rinsed over again with another. Reis was quite enjoying this—rarely had she been attended to as such.

Hoisting Reis to her feet, Aeris pulled her over to the large tub of steaming water. Reis gingerly placed herself into the hot water, until little by little, she was sitting quite comfortably in the heat, head resting back against the cool stone wall. Letting out a soft 'ahh' of comfort, Reis relaxed in the calm heat of the bath.

Down came Aeris with a splash into the tub; she had undressed and jumped into the same bath as Reis. Wading slowly over to Reis, she stroked the dragoner's lean, long legs.

'You're very beautiful,' Aeris spoke, her voice strangely purring.

'Er-thank you,' Reis replied, feeling a little sheepish.

Aeris sat down next to Reis, recounting away her years of life. She told Reis about her upbringing; how her parents had died before she grew up, how she was raised in a slum by a foster mother, how she realized that she had special powers to talk to the Planet. The two spent another half hour in the tub, discussing their similarities and differences, telling each other of their exploits and adventures.

At last came the time to get out of the hot bathtub. Aeris bent down over Reis, pecked her twice quickly on each cheek, and skipped off to put on her dress. Reis burned with embarrassment. Could she possibly like this…Aeris?

Nevertheless, she stood up, the steam still rising about her slim body, vaulting herself over the wall of the tub. Slipping on the dress and skirt, she followed Aeris up the staircase…

**A/N**

I noticed that there's really only one person reading this (or that I am aware of). It's not as though I am complaining or anything, but I would appreciate a few more reviews by readers. I write this story as I do my homework (cough cough, don't tell any of my teachers plz :P) and I will keep writing it. But I will appreciate more feedback. As it is right now, I've very little motivation to keep me going. The quantity of schoolwork that I receive is enormous; it is unimaginable (even to me) how I can still keep up with schoolwork when I have to stay up till 2am in the morning to finish it, let alone write this story.

So please, remember to write some reviews.


	7. Midnight Visitor

A whistling winter wind kept Reis awake during the night. Even if she had been used to the permafrost of Goland, it had been a long time since she experienced a storm of such ferocity. Whipping up within the matter of hours, the wind and snow forced every soul into cover, whether it be a little cat or a fluffy yellow chocobo. Aeris stayed in the bed next to her, poring over a map that Reis assumed was the map of this world.

'Reis…' Aeris said, still gazing at the map, 'What was Ivalice like?'

Reis strained her memory for all the details that she remembered of Ivalice.

'Well…the place where I was confined to during my dragon years…Goland…that was under freezing ice and snow for the entire year. Then there was Lionel. A vast principality, neutral to both the Hokuten and the Black Sheep. It was a land of high cliffs and low swamps, populated densely with both animals and men,'

'What—or who—were the Hokuten?' Aeris asked, 'And the Black Sheep?'

'Knights of the…well, you know, I've told you this when we bathed,' Reis answered, turning pink when she said the last detail of the sentence, 'They serve the White Lion and the Black Lion respectively,'

'Do go on, I'm curious about your world,' Aeris told her, urging her on, 'It must be a rather destroyed place, isn't it?'

'I must admit it is,' Reis said, eyes scanning the ceiling, lying back on her pillow, 'I wished there hadn't been war…then…then…'

She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. Breaking off into a bout of tears, she couldn't bear the thought of either Prince Larg or Goltana being the cause of all her suffering and her fiancé's death.

Aeris patted her gently on the shoulder when they heard an ear-splitting scream. Sitting up straight as a bolt, Reis stared at the doorway. Standing up, she and Aeris walked over to the door, Reis taking a small knife in case anything happened.

'Nooo…I don't want to…No, I don't want this,' a voice moaned in the innkeeper's room, pitch rising and falling as the voice repeated the same words again and again.

Aeris raised her eyebrows.

'Oh my…not another one…' she muttered, returning back to the room and coming back out with her ancient staff.

Reis cautiously pushed the door open, holding the knife in a position ready to strike, should anything dangerous be on the other side. Even though not yet fully recovered, the dragoner had incredible strength of mind and body; the pain of the not-quite healed wound still seared away, though not with the intensity of the previous night.

Dashing through the doorway, Aeris held her staff as though expecting something dangerous. Reis followed her lead, her knife still held in front of herself, point outwards and gleaming.

A black-cloaked man stood in the corner, shaking uncontrollably. _What on earth is this? _Reis thought, as Aeris approached the man and lifted his sleeve.

'As I thought,' Aeris said, her voice quavering in pity, 'Another sufferer of Sephiroth's disease,'

'Does your opponent really make that disease happen?' Reis asked incredulously, eyes wide as she stared at the man, who was still cowering on the spot, 'Seems like a very dreadful one to have,'

'No, no, it's not really a disease,' Aeris explained, lifting the other sleeve, 'Sephiroth just controls these people through the little Mako energy within their veins—ah, there's the number. Seventy-seven,'

Seeing the puzzled expression on Reis' face, Aeris quickly explained that Mako was the energy of life itself, of the planet and all its living things. _Sephiroth must have some link with the planet then, _Reis thought.

Barret barged through the door, his gun arm rotating as though he had shot a number of bullets through the lethal weapon.

'Yo, Aeris, what's going…on?' he asked, taking a step back as he saw the shaking man.

'He's been affected by Sephiroth's Mako control,'

'Must…go…to…Reunion…' the man said, barely coherent through all the nonsensical babbling that he made.

'Yowtch…that must be annoying,' Barret said, turning back for the door, 'Well, I'm going back to bed. See you tomorrow morning, Aeris…and the other girl,'

Barret left the room, leaving Reis and Aeris in silence. The man collapsed onto the floor, still mumbling random words and things like 'Reunion' and 'Rejoin Sephiroth'. Leaving the man there, Aeris walked back towards the room.

'Are you just going to leave him like that?' Reis asked Aeris, walking alongside the brown-haired woman.

'Nothing I can do here-or that anyone can do. His mind's been blown to pieces,'

_A mind being blown to pieces…what a nice way to put it, _Reis mumbled to herself.

Reis climbed back into her bed, planning to forget the dreadful thing that she saw. As she began to drift off to sleep, Aeris climbed into the very same bed, pulling up the bedcovers slightly and slipping underneath them. Putting her face into Reis' silvery-gold locks, she sobbed quietly. Feeling a wave of pity for the other woman, Reis allowed Aeris to continue her sobbing, eventually hugging her to stop the tears. Aeris looked into Reis' sapphire eyes. She could see the pity in them, clear, sincere.

'I'm sorry,' she apologized, making movements to get out of Reis' bed. Reis, however, held Aeris' arm. Aeris looked at her hand, holding her arm. She got the message, and climbed back in. Snuggling up to Reis, she grasped her hand tightly.

'I just…can't go on like this…' Aeris sobbed, tears leaking from her emerald eyes, 'Every day…every minute…I hear the cries of the Planet…the screams of the dead…the agony they endure…'

'It must be tough, having to listen to the Planet and the dead every moment of your life, not to mention troubling,' Reis said, trying to comfort the other woman.

Breaking into hysterical weeping, Aeris pressed herself against Reis' body. Shocked, Reis stayed where she was, stunned by the sudden motion. Never did she think that Aeris was so unpredictable.

Singing softly in Aeris' ear, Reis calmed the distraught woman, who slowly fell asleep in her arms. _Sigh…I guess it isn't only me with the problems…_


	8. Shinra

The silvery morning light of Icicle fell inside the small bedroom. A beam of light shone on Reis' face, illuminating her features with dappled shadows. She blinked, once, twice, pushing her sheets of blonde aside. Aeris still slept soundly beside her, still holding her hand rather tightly.

Still rather half-asleep, Reis tucked herself further in the bed, realising that Aeris was still in her bed when her nose bumped against the back of Aeris' head. Holding her in a sort of embrace from behind, Reis drifted off to sleep again in the comfortable warmth of the bed.

_Tap-tap-tap… _

Aeris prised apart her eyelids with her fingers, yawning widely. The tapping was from the door.

_Tap-tap-tap…_

That tapping came from the door…

_Tap-tap-tap…_

_It's so insistent, _Reis thought, pulling her pillow over her ears.

_Tap-tap-tap…_

Aeris hopped off the bed and strode over to the door.

'Yes?' she called out, opening the wooden door.

A hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her outside. Shrieking, Aeris struggled to return back into the room. Reis, awoken by the commotion, jumped out of the bedcovers and walked as fast as she could to the source of the noise. Fearing that her wound would open again if she ran, Reis looked for a quicker way down. Aeris' screams for help were growing distant, further down below.

Finding an open window, Reis looked over the edge. There was a pile of fresh snow at the bottom, one storey below. Holding her breath, she leapt down.

Landing neatly in the middle of the soft white, she crawled over to the door (the jump still had its aftershocks, add it with her wounds and you can imagine the pain). It was the only door out of the inn, and if Aeris' abductor wanted to escape, he would have to pass this door—and fight her first.

The front door slammed open. Aeris lay limp on the shoulder of a blue-uniformed man, a large bruise on her face. There was a strange greenish glow about his eyes…

Reis grasped the green stone of invisibility in her hand, wishing for the liberating property. Her visible skin faded away into thin air. Pulling off her dress and skirt, Reis threw them into a small alcove. A brilliant flash of light and an earth-shaking roar later, Reis the dragon stood in the snow-covered road, materializing out of the invisible state.

Aeris' abductor stopped in his tracks. Gaping stupidly at Reis' advancing form, he gulped, cold sweat running down his face. Dropping Aeris, he sprinted down the street as fast as he could go, screaming in fear and knocking over everything in his way.

Reis helped Aeris up very carefully (so to avoid any accidental claw-related injuries).

'Are you alright?' Reis asked, her voice growl-y and rough due to her changed form.

Aeris stared past the silver dragon's mane. There were two men walking up the street, with the man in blue being kicked forwards by the three.

'Rude and Reno!' Aeris hissed, trying to hide herself behind Reis, 'They're here as well!'

'Who's Rude? And Reno?' Reis asked, perplexed.

'They're…hitmen, assassins. Elites of the Shinra corporation army,'

'Oh,' Reis muttered, 'I suppose I should take care of them then, if they're after you,'

'Wait…there's someone else behind them,'

A man in a silver jacket followed the two, spinning a sawn-off shotgun in one hand. A smug smile flitted across his face as he pointed the gun at Aeris' had-been abductor. A split second of silence, a moment of frozen movement, and then the ominous blast as the man fell to the snow, red staining the white. The silver-jacketed man placed the shotgun in its holster on the side of his leg, whistling merrily as though he had done nothing serious.

_He's insane, _Reis thought.

The three men then walked forward, towards Reis and Aeris, kicking aside snow and rubbing their hands.

'Hey now, what brings a fine dragon to a town like this?' one of them said, grinning greedily, staring straight into Reis' blue eyes (yes, they're still blue, even when most dragons have black).

_I'm not a real dragon, you idiot, _she thought.

'Rude, you never know what happens in outskirt towns like these,' the other said, drawing a pistol and walking closer.

_He's getting too close for comfort…_

'Reno, are you sure about approaching that dragon?' Rude asked, looking at Reis' baring teeth and dangerously swinging tail, 'It looks dangerous,'

'Sure, it's fine—AAARRRGH!'

Reis had thrown her tail at Reno, sending him flying halfway across the village. Rounding up on Rude, she opened her mouth, sparks of electricity flying menacingly from within her throat. Rude drew his pistol, ever so slowly walking backwards, firing three quick shots at Reis' face. As though they had been no more than a mosquito bite, Reis let out the full fury of her lightning breath, causing Rude to jump and scream in pain, rolling around in the cold snow as though wishing that the snow would help lessen the pain.

'Hey now…' Rufus said, stretching a hand forwards towards Reis, apparently unperturbed by the initial ferocity displayed, 'Calm down,'

Seeing the shotgun being drawn out of its holster in the corner of her eye, Reis quickly slammed her claw down onto the man's leg, knocking him down to the ground and smashing the shotgun to pieces in the process. Readying herself for a second strike, she was cut short by a sharp strike in the back of her neck. Rude had picked himself up, his singed jacket flapping in the wind. He had struck Reis in the neck with a steel rod with all his strength, causing Reis to lose her concentration as the bruise left behind started to bleed. Raising the rod again, Rude swore loudly, his bloodshot eyes blazing with fury. Down came the rod…an eternity of pain, disorientation…blurred images flitting across her eyes…Aeris being dragged out of the inn…before hearing Rufus say, 'Take the dragon away…to the largest prison cell you can find,'


	9. Prison Break

'Let me go-ouch! I say, let me go!'

_Where am I…?_

'Shut up, you rascal, you don't deserve any dignity!'

_Oh, really…_

'Whatever, old fella! I wish you had been born in a bin!'

_Whatever this place is, I don't like the sounds of it._

'Down to isolation! NOW!'

The sound of a sharp blow echoed around the place, followed by a quick grunt of pain and someone falling down. A door slammed shut and somebody wolf-whistled.

'Hey, guard, where'd the hot chick come from?'

_I certainly don't want to get near whoever said that…and he better hope the same…_

'Came in two days ago,' the guard said, 'Don't get any ideas about her, I heard that she was a dragon when she nearly killed President Rufus,'

_I did…?_

'Wow, some strong stuff there, and also strange for such a hot chick to have,'

Reis opened her eyes, blinking. She found herself lying down in a hard wooden bed, staring straight up at the concrete ceiling. Putting a hand to her throbbing neck, she found the large bruise where Rude had struck her twice with the steel rod.

_That…wasn't nice…and harder than what I expected from the average person…_she thought,

_But then he is part of the Shinra elite or something like that, _a small voice said in her head.

Standing up, she found a pile of clothes on the ground at the foot of her wooden bed. Putting on the coarse woolen skirt, she felt a sort of mixed worry and anger. _What happened to Aeris and her friends? Where am I?_

'Oh, so you're up…assassin-wannabe…' the guard sneered, poking his squashed face through the iron bars of the prison cell.

'Be quiet,' Reis snapped back at him, annoyed by his remark.

'Ooh, I'm so scared,' the guard said, imitating a girl's voice and walking away, pretending to have high-heels and laughing.

_What on earth did I do to deserve this terrible place?_

'Hey,' a prison inmate said, greeting her.

'Hello,' Reis replied. _This person looks more sensible than the rest of them swine, _she thought.

'So you are Reis?' the inmate asked, ruffling his spiky yellow hair. There was a strange green glow in his eyes, the sort that she saw in the innkeeper's eyes at Icicle.

Startled by his response, Reis replied, 'Yes, I am. What do you require of me?'

'Thanks for saving Aeris, that's all. I'm Cloud. I'm trying to kill Sephiroth…and also to protect Aeris,'

'Why do you need to protect her?' Reis asked, her gaze narrowing, 'I know that she wants to do the same as you,'

'It was…a vow I made,' Cloud said, his eyes blank, reminiscing, 'I told her that I would protect her if ever she was in trouble. Well, she's in permanent trouble now, that she's got Sephiroth on her tail,'

'How can you be hunting that person if he's the one trying to hunt you and Aeris?'

'Well, I'm not exactly sure. But Aeris has the Holy Materia. The one that's supposed to save us from the meteor that Sephiroth had called using the Black Materia,'

'Oh,' Reis said, sarcastic, 'That would explain everything…'

'YOU TWO! Be quiet up there!' a guard hollered.

'Catch you later,' Cloud muttered from the corner of his mouth, eyeing the guard with deepest loathing.

An alarm blared in the guard post, flashes of red light issuing in two-second phases. The guards dashed out of the room.

'_We are under attack. I repeat. We are under attack! Unidentified enemy in the ocean. All soldiers and men capable of using weapons to report at the assembly area immediately!' _a loudspeaker boomed, projecting its horrible message around the concrete cells.

'This is our chance,' Cloud said, 'Come on! Let's destroy the cell and get out of this place,'

Reis nodded, and threw off her clothes. Ignoring Cloud's gaping mouth and stunned expression, she transformed herself into the holy dragon that she was, and threw herself against the iron bars. _Thud. _The bars moved a little. _Smash. _The bars begin to bend and crack. _Bash! _The bars fly across the corridor, striking the opposite cell with incredible force.

Ignoring the other prisoners' pleas for release, the two ran towards the exit, Reis whipping asunder chairs and tables with her long, hard tail.

'It's locked,'

Bracing herself, Reis struck the door with all her might. It didn't budge.

_This is a prison, Reis, a PRISON! If the prisoners escaped, the door wouldn't break if all of them tried to get through…_

Breathing embers of fire, she opened her jaws, sucking air into her lungs. Releasing the superheated air, Reis blasted the steel door like a foundry bellows. A cracking sound, fault lines appearing in the door frame, and a final crash as the door fell backwards, glowing faintly as the heated metal smoked.

A pair of Shinra guards marched into the room, spraying Reis with bullets. Shaking off the metal pellets like irksome flies, she incinerated them with another burst of flames, throwing aside their charred remains with a powerful swipe of her claws. Cloud picked up a large sword beside the guard post, which he strapped on his back.

Dashing out onto the asphalt of the road, the two were greeted with an incredible sight. A vast dragon, possibly as large as an oil tanker, was swimming towards the city that they were in. Soldiers fired away rockets and bullets at the incoming fiend (though Reis felt a certain warmth for this dragon) in a futile attempt to fend off the attack; the beast merely breathed once upon the airstrip with a blast of pure energy, and the entire army was swept away, vaporized in the sheer power of the breath.

'_All who resist me shall die,' _a hissing voice said, ominous and threatening.

'How about if I don't resist?' Reis answered back.

'Who ARE you talking to, Reis?' Cloud said, tugging her arm, 'Come on, let's get out of here before it blasts us too!'

'_You can talk to us? Oh…you're a dragon, I'll let you live. And the puny human next to you as well. Our proud race deserves better than them,'_

'Ok, we can go safely,' Reis said, turning to Cloud.

'How do you know?' he said.

'Because the monster told me,' Reis answered back, 'Climb on my back, I'll take you down from here. She looked over the edge of the road, and finding an ocean down below, thought it a better escape option than running through the streets.

Reis jumped, wind whistling about her ears, bracing for a heavy impact. Overhead, she could hear panicked shouts and gunshots, rockets roaring through the air and the dragon's roaring loud and clear over the racket. Lifting her head, Reis saw the dragon again for a split second—before its head was obliterated by a beam of green light, the shards of bone raining down onto the foaming sea. The great mass of flesh stood still for a second, before toppling over into the depths of the wine-dark ocean.

After swimming back to shore, Reis simply sat down on the shadowed sands, stunned. Every time a dragon died, it meant grief for her. She had spent time with them. Ten years or so in isolation, with only other dragons to communicate with. She had appreciated their mind, bright but unable to speak with humans…or so she thought, until she herself taught one to speak.

'Come on, Reis, it might have crushed us for all we know,'

Reis followed along, her mind still in the state of shock. Treading around clumsily on the sand, being tugged along by Cloud, she looked like a drunken dragon. An hour's work later by Cloud, and they were out of the city…but where are Aeris and the others?


	10. Crimson Twilight

As Cloud and Reis the Dragon trod their way across the damp hillside, towards a brilliant blood-red sunset, beset by a myriad of problems to which they knew no answer to, they began to muse on the sudden appearance of the monster. What had triggered its coming? And why did it attack the place that they were in? Last, but not least, was that question that gnawed away at their minds: where was Aeris, and the rest of her friends?

Looking back at the city that Cloud called 'Junon', Reis noticed the gigantic object perched on the high cliff overlooking the city. A huge cannon, possibly half a mile long, sat entrenched in the rock, its muzzle steaming from heat.

_So that was what killed that dragon, _Reis thought, gritting her teeth. Breaking off into a fast run, she entered a small forest. Cloud, unable to keep his balance due to her sudden movement, fell off her back, rolling down the hill with his hands on his head, cursing in pain.

Finding a secluded spot in the forest, Reis crouched down. A silver light engulfed her large form, intensifying, then fading away to reveal a beautiful woman, bare and pale-skinned. Drenched in sweat, she looked for a way to overcome the discomfort of the humid forest.

_This isn't a nice place to be, _she muttered. The ferns on the ground tickled her legs as she walked, swishing to and fro in the light breeze. Birds chirped overhead, while insects could be heard buzzing, flying this way and that. _Well, maybe it's an alright place._

Lying down on a patch of open grass, she placed a hand on her wound. It had nearly healed; partly due to Aeris' medicine and also partly to the blood of the dragon within her veins. Many a time she had been slashed or pierced with arrows in battle in Ivalice, but none as severe as this wound. Nor had anything taken that long to heal on Reis.

Yawning, she drifted off silently to sleep…

A terrified shriek roused Reis from her sleep, loud, shrill, penetrating. Standing up, she walked towards the source of the sound, half-awake. Stumbling in the darkness, she groped her way through the undergrowth, dragging her feet through the tangling vines and kicking aside mats of wet grass.

Peering through the darkness of the night at two shadowed figures some way out in the plain. From what she could make out, one was down on the ground, kneeling, head bowed, and the other had a…something…raised in his hand. Knowing that she needed to act fast, she dashed forwards, running as fast as she could towards the two. Indeed she needed to move quickly; one shadowed figure had a blade in his hand, raising it slowly, waiting for that final moment…

And then Reis struck. Drawing her fist back, and letting it fly forwards like a piston with a loud grunt, she threw a mighty punch into the man's stomach—inevitably causing him to reel backwards, winded. Panting, the man raised the blade, when he stared straight at Reis' naked form. Rubbing his eyes as though trying to discern if this were real or just an afterimage of something, the man dropped his blade on the ground. Reis snatched up the sword, holding it above her head. A mad gleam shone from within the depths of her eyes, and the man cowered on the very spot that he stood on.

Down came the blade and slashed across the man's ribs. Back, forwards—and the man gasped for air, blood spurting from his mouth. Reis had thrust the sword through the man's chest, puncturing his lungs. Letting the man collapse, she now turned to the would-be-dead person. Pushing aside her curtain of hair, she beheld…

'Aeris!' Reis exclaimed, jumping backwards in shock.

'Reis!' she shouted back, expression undeterminable in the dark.

'Whatever happened to you?' she asked, untying the cords that bound her hands and feet.

'I didn't cooperate with Shinra,' she explained, lowering her head, 'They asked me for the location of the Promised Land. I told them that I didn't know, and they wouldn't trust me. So they placed…they placed…'

Reis knew. False charges. Like what had been done with Beowulf when he attempted to avenge her for Buremonda's curse. He had been branded a heretic by the church of Glabados, exiled for groundless reasons. He endured mockery, shame and dishonor, all for the filthy minds of power-hungry, corrupted officials. It was a pity…that it had to happen to such a pure, innocent girl…to Aeris.

Helping the girl up, Reis dusted the dirt from Aeris' dress. The dragoner then examined her for injuries, amid Aeris' protests that she was fine. Finding numerous whip-wounds on her back, Reis wondered if Aeris would ever tell somebody else about her injuries.

'Come on, we need to find some clean water,' Reis said, pulling Aeris gently along, 'Like from a river,'

'Alright,' she replied. Noticing something missing from Reis, she asked, 'Reis…why do you prefer to go…well, exposed?'

'I simply cannot help myself when I transform into a dragon. Yes, I can still transform when in clothes, but I cannot make the clothes stretch along with my increased size,'

Finding a stream of fresh running water two miles south of the place, Reis began to take care of the welts on Aeris' back. Removing Aeris' dress, she examined the wounds. They were numerous, deep cuts, forming crossing lines on Aeris' formerly smooth back. This Reis washed with the stream's clear water; the dried blood washed away, leaving pink and bruised skin behind.

'Ow! Can't you do it any other way?' Aeris complained, after feeling the sting of water on wounds a number of times as Reis poured the water over her.

'You did the same to me, remember?'

'Yes, I guess I did…OW!'

When Reis had finished washing off Aeris' wounds, she placed Aeris' dress on her lap, turning around so to allow her privacy (even though both of them had been deprived of clothes in those few moments…)

Lying down on the soft grass, the two gazed at the stars. The night was clear, unclouded; the stars were pinpricks of light on a black curtain, the moon a large crescent spotlight in the sky.

'Aeris, I have to ask you one thing,' Reis said, scratching her leg absent-mindedly.

'What is it?'

'What happened to you?'

'Oh…it's a long story,' she answered, 'After you were knocked out at Icicle by that creep, Rude, Rufus ordered me and the rest of us to be caught and brought into custody. They had us surrounded within minutes. I had no choice but to surrender, hoping for the best. That 'best' never came…within six hours of capture I was already being interrogated. Those Shinra…bums…asked me about the Promised Land, which I did not know of. After I had told them that…well, they strapped me on a rack. (her eyes closed and she shuddered) They whipped me with a nine-headed whip, hoping to extract the information out from me, which I did not know at all. They even went low enough to threaten me with the public executions of my friends (Reis' eyes widened; _Could they be that underhanded, _she thought)…and that included you, Reis. You were to be fired from that gigantic cannon as an example of what happens to people that defy Rufus, the president of Shinra,'

'That's nice to know, his plans of having me fired out of a cannon,' she muttered scathingly, 'What does he think I am? Lead shot?'

The pair drifted off to sleep again, underneath a nearby overhang.

_The footsteps of chocobos…tapping…scratching…is this really a dream?_

'Put your hands up if you value your lives!' a rough voice said, amid the cackling of about half a dozen other men, all armed with rifles.

'Hey chief, let's have fun with the hot chick,'  
'Yeah, let's do that, she's so damn hot,'  
'I hope she gives us more fun than the others,'

'NO!' the chief roared, fury in his voice, 'We do not do that to people. Remember your oath. We rob for the liberty of Wutai! We are not petty criminals, you fool!'

Turning to Reis and Aeris, he drew out a large dagger.

'Give us all your gil and we will spare your lives,'

Unwillingly, Aeris deposited fifty thousand gil at the foot of the chocobo, inside a leather purse. The leader scooped it up, emptying its contents into his bag, and tossing the purse back to Aeris.

'Let us go. And do what you have been told,'

The chocobo robbers rode off into the distance. Aeris turned to Reis, tears in her eyes. Comforting her, Reis hugged Aeris, allowing her to sob away on her shoulder. She understood her feelings. That had been her life savings, all the money she ever had, all gone within a few short moments. Before she could say a word of comfort, however, gunshots filled the air.

The chocobo riders had let off shots at them, apparently not intending at all to let them live. A spray of bullets peppered them, striking the ground and the area near them. A number of bullets hit Reis and Aeris; Reis had been hit twice in one leg, and once in the left side of her chest. Aeris sustained far more serious injuries; this was aggravated by the fact that she had not fully recovered. There were three bullet holes in her right thigh, a couple in her arms, and one on her shoulder. Aeris collapsed immediately. Time seemed to stop for a moment; her fall slowed down a million times; the fall seemed to take an eternity as she let out an agonized scream before crashing down to the ground.

Bleeding copiously, Aeris blinked blankly upwards towards the pitch black sky. Her breathing shallow and laboured, her blood ran red in a small puddle beneath her. Reis, whose injuries were also quite severe, limped over to Aeris, holding the wound in her chest with one arm.

'Come on…I have to get her to the closest town,' Reis muttered to herself. She could see a small village in the distance, built on a rock, less than two miles away. _I must concentrate…I must concentrate…I will concentrate…I will turn into a dragon, _she thought, even with the pain and bleeding that she endured.

Transforming into a dragon lessened the pain a little. Picking up the limp Aeris, Reis ran as fast as it was possible for her; the wounds were every moment as painful as the beating that Rude had given her; every moment leaking out blood; every moment stinging and searing at her flesh. After five minute's worth of agonizing movement, she had arrived at a sort of rock monastery, where the guards outside looked on in astonishment at the two.

Reis the human materialized again from her dragon self, panting, eyes nearly blank. The run had drained her of most of her stamina; she had barely enough strength to stand up.

'Please…allow us…to stay here…for the night…' she panted, her hands on her knees and looking up as far as it was possible. The blood ran down her thigh, staining her pale skin scarlet; it flowed around her hand and seeped down into the ground.

'We need a doctor here, and quickly too,' one of the two guards said to the other, 'Go inside and call one to the medical chamber. I will take these two in,'

'Thank…you…' Reis uttered, so soft that she was unsure if it were even audible. Collapsing onto the rough pebbles, she felt the guard's arm wrap around her shoulders, hoisting her up, and saw another picking up Aeris. Vision fading away, she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids felt like lead bricks, and her pain fading away.

_If this were death…give it to me now…end my pain…end my suffering…and I will see Beowulf again…I hope…_

**A/N**

Well, the end of another chapter. I know I've said this before, but there's not enough people reviewing. I repeat: I write this for fun and experience, and the occasional pride and happiness that someone appreciates my work.


	11. Battle of the Condor

The surgeons of Fort Condor worked away through the late hours of the night. Sweating feverishly in the humid heat of the underground chamber, they pored over the bodies of Reis and Aeris, carefully cleaning their wounds and stemming the blood flows. Gloves stained with blood, they adjusted the gas lamp overhead so to shed as much light as possible in the dim environment.

'More water,' one said, 'We need more clean water. Hurry, we won't have much time if we want to save these two,'

'In, through, up. In, through, up,' another hummed, sewing together a cleaned, sterilized wound on Reis.

'Found a bullet. Dangerous one too,'

The doctors rubbed away the blood with the water, then purifying the bloody ruptures with alcohol. It would have caused unimaginable pain, if they were not under the influence of tranquilisers.

'Knife, please,' the head surgeon said, examining a wound on Aeris' thigh. Slicing the wound efficiently, he searched for the hidden lump of metal with a pair of narrow tongs. Pulling out a shiny black object, dripping in crimson fluid, he placed the knife and the bullet into the waiting stainless steel tray on a trolley.

Thus they went on for another hour, working against the clock to help the two women survive the night.

'Thank goodness,' one said, after the surgery had completed, 'That was the most horrific surgery I had to undergo so far,'

'You are lucky you aren't like me,' the head surgeon said, 'You haven't yet seen an amputation,'

'Either way, these two are fine. Take them down to the dorms,' the last said, pulling off the blood-coated facemask and hair net.

Next morning…

'Are you two alright?' a soft, gentle voice said.

Reis opened one bleary eye, barely strong enough to move.

'That's a good sign, you're awake. Well, don't be expecting much movement anytime soon…you two lost a lot of blood. Especially you, dragon lady, you ran while having those wounds. An extraordinary feat, I should say, one that I cannot accomplish,'

Reis closed her eye again, her mind still feeling ill and rather nauseous. She could barely lift a finger, let alone talk. _I assume Aeris is experiencing the same, _she thought.

'So, are those two alright?' a bossy voice said, echoing in the stone building.

'Yes, sir,'

'Good. Keep them safe from any danger. Especially during the siege that's to happen soon, Shinra forces have been reported to be around here somewhere,'

'Yes, sir,'

A number of heavy footsteps could be heard, making loud thumps on the hard stone floor. A door squeaked open, and the footsteps drew ever closer.

'Good morning, fair miss. I am the leader of the soldiers in Fort Condor,'

Reis made a futile attempt to move her arm, tried twice and gave up. The man seemed to have expected this, and held her arm down.

'No, don't strain yourself. Rest. Have some sleep,'

_It's been awhile since I had that sort of attention…_

'We captured some suspicious-looking men on chocobos around this area this morning,' he continued, 'We believe that they were the ones responsible for your ills. We have found on them money to the sum of fifty thousand gil, and also guns with the same caliber on their persons. Their executions are within one hour; the last rites are being performed on them right now, so to give them at least _some _mercy on their souls,'

_What is a 'caliber'? All the same, I am glad that they were captured. They do not deserve any mercy…let alone the last rites…_

'I will leave you to rest now. Farewell,' he concluded, kissing Reis on the forehead.

Eight hours later…

'Aeris?' Reis said, hearing some movement in the bed next to her.

'Ow…Am I still alive?' she said slowly.

'Yes, you are. We are safe now,'

'Thank God…I thought I was dead…'

'So, how do you feel?'

'Not too bad,' she replied, lifting a feeble arm to her stomach, 'At least I'm not dead,'

'That's good to know…now I can move around at least…hang on, let me try something,'

Gathering her concentration, Reis focused on a piece of ancient magic she learned during her imprisonment with the dragons in Goland coal mines.

'_Spirits of dragons long gone,_

_Let me borrow your power _

_By the bond of our sisterhood._

_Heal me with the power of our friendship,_

_And free me from the shackles of illness!'_

A soft red aura surrounded Reis, wispy, indistinct. Swirling around in small circles, it gradually rose up, knee high, chest high, head high. She felt a powerful rush of blood within her veins, a steady, pulsing throb of adrenaline, one with the rhythm of her body and soul. A warm feeling spread from the centre of her chest, spreading outwards to the very tips of her fingers. Aeris' eyes widened in surprise as Reis' wounds closed without a trace, not even a single scar. The glow fading away into nothing, Reis collapsed back into her bed, panting, sweat dripping from her forehead.

'WOW! Have a look at this, boss!' someone called out from the doorway.

'Oh…my…goodness…' the boss said, dumbstruck, 'She's fully cured! How!'

'I have no idea, sir,'

'THEN WHAT WERE YOU DOING, SOLDIER?' the leader roared, apparently furious, (it was impossible to see through walls, after all), 'Taking a nap while you dreamed about the beautiful lady instead of guarding the two!'

_Really…Am I that beautiful? I'm just an ordinary girl…_

'Resume your post, soldier. Shinra forces are coming ever closer. They may be here by this evening,'

Feeling a little better, Reis stood up. Stretching her arms, she walked over to the door.

'Young miss, are you alright?'

'Yes, I'm fine, thank you,' Reis said, 'Please let me speak to the leader of this place,'

'Right this way, young miss,'

The guard led Reis down a broad hallway, edged with small braziers. Down a flight of steps or two, up a ladder, and they were at a door labeled 'King of Fort Condor'. Thanking the guard, Reis knocked on the door.

'Come in,' the familiar bossy voice said.

She walked into the room, which was unlike the other rooms of the fort. It was lined with bookracks, filled with books concerning war and history. A tiger pelt was on the ground, acting as a carpet, its striped glory adding to the fierce outlook of the leader.

'Ah, so you're feeling better now, young dragon lady,'

'Yes, and thank you for your assistance. My name is Reis Dular. I am a dragoner, or quite literally a half-dragon,'

'Really?' the leader said, surprised. Remembering his formalities, he said, 'I am…well, you won't really need to know me…I think I'll be dead by this evening, along with all the soldiers in this fort,'

'Why is that?' Reis asked, curious about this streak of dark thought.

'Shinra forces have arrived in vast numbers throughout the day, and are now about to lay siege to this fort,'

'If it were necessary, I will put myself into your service for this battle, leader of Fort Condor,'

'Thank you! We will require all the men that we can gather…and women too, if they wish to defend this fort and the giant condor above,' he said, 'Oh, and that's why this place is called Fort Condor. There had been a gigantic condor nesting here for a lo-oo-ong time,'

'I wish to make a request of you,' Reis said, 'Is there anybody that can make weapons or armour in this place?'

'Yes, indeed there is. Speak to the blacksmith, he works in the lowest floor of this fort,'

Bowing politely, Reis farewelled the leader, before heading down the ladders and staircases of the fort. _It's like being in a castle, _she thought.

'Yes? What d'ya want?' the blacksmith said, wiping his brow, 'I'll make anything from swords to guns to plated leather,'

'Well…I need something specialized,' Reis said, 'Could you make a pair of claws for a dragon?'

'A dragon? Are you sure about that young missy? They're more trouble than help,'

_Another person that thinks dragons are stupid and useless creatures…_

'Yes, I'm certain,' Reis concluded, holding back her indignant feelings.

'How big do you want the claws to be?'

'Uh…wait,'

Reis went into a secluded spot behind the large bellows of the inactive furnace, where she could avoid the gaze of everyone. Then, taking off her clothes, she wished for the transformation. A flash of white light, lengthening and rapid expansion of Reis' body ensued, followed by an eerie silence as everybody fell into silence. Stepping out from behind the bellows, Reis stretched out her claws.

'Well, how's this? Can you measure the size of my claws to fit them with weapons?'

The blacksmith snapped out of his shocked trance. 'Yes, I will be able to, ma'am,'

Taking out a piece of string and a black ink marker, he measured both of Reis' front claws, taking note of the distance between each individual nail. Finally, drawing back his reels of string with a flourish, he gathered up sheets and bars of metal, and went away to the anvil, hammering them to shape.

Reis waited, dropping down on four legs in a corner, looking at the work in progress. _How long would this take, I wonder._

'There. Finished,'

The blacksmith held out a pair of steel claws, their cutting edges reinforced with hardened mithril. Slipping them onto Reis' large claws, he stepped back and admired his work.

'I must admit, my work looks better on you,' he said, grinning, wiping a greasy hand across his soot-blackened face, 'I will make some armor before the siege begins, just trust me,'

'Thank you,' Reis growled, in a deep, dragon-y voice.

'You're…welcome,' the blacksmith said, unnerved by the strange new voice of the previously-beautiful woman.

Walking as silently as it is possible for a dragon, Reis climbed slowly up the rock fortress (for she cannot climb ladders…you all know the reason why). Meeting the leader, she greeted him with a clumsy sort of bow on four legs. Uncertain of what to say or do, the leader simply bowed in return.

'I have grave news, my lady,'

'What is it?' Reis replied, as politely as possible.

'Shinra forces are currently marching on the far side of this mountain. It will not be long before they will decimate this fort. They outnumber us twenty-to-one,'

'You need not worry. I will reduce them all to ashes…in return for your hospitality and for my own revenge for what evils they have done,'

'Are you certain about what you are saying, my lady? You speak as though you were God himself or a being of greater power. Shinra forces are not something to be dealt with lightly,'

'I am totally certain that I will emerge victorious,' Reis growled, 'By the divine protection of God, I will destroy the evil that marches on this land,'

_This reminds me of the old times…the fifty year war…the Lion War…major bloodshed and uncountable deaths. Still, it is necessary to purge all evils from the lands, be it mine own or one that I visit. Beowulf, I hope to see you again soon…even in death, I will still be grateful, for I will see you again, touch you again, speak with you again, not through some intermediary that you cannot see._

Ten thousand troops marched on the vast plains at the base of the hill, bearing the Shinra mark upon their hats and helmets. Carrying rifles on their shoulders and spinning pistols from their fingers, the troops looked formidable. Battle-scarred and toughened, these appeared to be the crack troops of the Shinra Empire.

'I will leave now. Please send your available troops up to defensive positions,'

'I will, my lady, though I still doubt your conviction that everything will be fine,'

The five hundred defenders of Fort Condor emerged from the small hut atop the Condor Hill, beneath the shadow of the giant condor that nested in the old reactor above them. Reis stomped through the middle, parting a path through the mass of soldiers.

'Today…will be a day of blood…' she began, pacing around in front of them, 'We fight…for a reason that we all know of, that we appreciate. We fight for life. We fight for freedom. We fight for our rights! We shall not let these Shinra oppressors resume their tyranny! Today, we fight. Today, we shall not run! Today, we fight for freedom and life—or die in the process,'

At these words, some of the soldiers muttered among themselves, staring mutinously at Reis and shooting occasional glances at the huge army gathered in front of them.

'So you are suggesting that we will fight to the death!' one soldier shouted.

A murmur of assent rose through the crowd.

'Fight, and some will die,' she said, scratching her neck with a claw, 'But if we fight, we still have a chance of winning, no matter how slim. We still can achieve freedom, even if it means losing our lives. Do not think that I have not been in a battle before, and that I have not experienced the bitter pain of loss,'

'Prove it, young missy. I know you've been shot by bandits, but that ain't some battle,'

'So you question me?' Reis said, indignant. Rising up to her full height as a dragon, she began to storm, 'I have lost my betrothed, one whom I am to marry. I have lost my family, when I was young. I have lost all, if not most of my friends, those that were in battle with me when I fought for freedom. Think! Have I not lost enough? Have I not lost enough to know the bitter pain of loss, the cold blade of fate slicing through my heart? Have I not felt the grief and sadness of death? Think! I am as much pain as you are, if I have lost my friends, as you would be when you have lost your comrades,'

There was a series of clapping hands, and a chorus of assent. The protesting people fell silent, hung their heads and held their rifles low, flushing in shame. They could almost swear that the Shinra army paused for a moment, stunned by their cheers.

Sobering up, they hid among the piles of stone positioned on the hill, squeezing their rifles through the gaps, some even mounting machine guns on the largest gaps. Reis stood in between two clusters of rocks, waiting for the Shinra army to come into safe attacking range…

1800 hours, local time, Fort Condor. The Shinra army came under heavy fire, the psyched-up troops of Fort Condor firing far more frenziedly than ever before. Shinra troops fell down in great numbers, their corpses littering the ground like confetti on a wedding day. But this was anything but a wedding day. Minute by minute, the Condor soldiers began to take casualties, one by one they fell. Not enough Shinra soldiers were being killed. This calls for quick action.

Reis took one mighty bound, her mighty legs allowing her to spring sixty feet forwards, landing squarely on top of a dozen or so soldiers, squashing their faces into the ground. Entering a frenzied rampage, she bit and tore her way through the Shinra ranks, every few seconds throwing six or seven into the air with a sweep of her tail. Unable to fire and gripped by fear, the Shinra troops began to fall into disarray, scattering like undisciplined barbarians, easily picked off by the snipers left atop the hill. Reis herself stomped over the remaining troops of that company, shredding flesh and scattering blood. Opening her mouth wide, she blasted the fleeing members, reducing their bodies to dark grey ash.

But the Shinra invasion still continued. One company was down, but another was still there. Turning on Reis, they marched forward, rifles held at her. _This is becoming…bad…_

_Must I risk it? Will I try to burn them? Or should I run away? No…I will not be a coward now…those people at Condor gave their lives in my service, I will not waste their ultimate sacrifice for my paltry life. I will fight! Fight for freedom, even to the death if necessary!_

A strange gleam filled her ultramarine eyes, a blazing heat from the normally icy colour. Gathering her energy, she dug her claws down into the ground. Ignoring the numerous rifle shots being fired at her, she continued to gather her power, for one last attack that was sure to destroy the rest of the vile Shinra troops.

Bullets peppered her skin, puncturing minute holes in them. Thousands of them, pouring down upon Reis, some bouncing off the hide, but others piercing a shallow distance into her flesh. Pain…needle-like…stabbing away…it was all too familiar. _I must not stop, _she thought.Feeling her strength fully gathered, she released it all in a breath attack, one that could be comparable to Lord Bahamut's Mega Flare. Superheated air rushed over her enemies…a silence, the men mouthing words that one cannot hear, clutching their heads in agony, rolling around on the ground as though trying to minimize the pain…and in moments, the entire army was vaporized…gone, from the face of the Planet, forever.

Shifting back to her beautiful self once again, Reis was immediately mobbed by a crowd of overjoyed soldiers, picking her up and passing her all the way to the top of the hill. The condor had finally taken off, a smaller, but still large, miniature version of itself following behind. Stumbling around once she arrived at the top, she crashed to the side of the wall, bleeding slightly from a bullet wound on her shoulder. Curing herself in an instant, she was again passed around the fort, with a new nickname:

'_The maid of Fort Condor'_

**A\N**

Yay it's my birthday and I wrote this chapter extra long as a special treat. Hope more ppl review soon!


	12. Fall of the Empire

A number of drunken soldiers danced atop a wooden table, singing on the top of their lungs and swinging their bottles of beer madly from their fingertips. A crowd cheered them on from beneath, clapping and whistling. Reis and Aeris sat at a table in the corner of the large stone cavern, looking on at the festivities. They had just thwarted the largest army in the world; the largest superpower, the controller of virtually everything. Now was the time to celebrate the hard-earned victory.

Reis buried her face in her hands.

'I can't believe it…just for our sake…they sacrificed their lives and their time…' she said, sobbing gently into her white hands, 'They deserve a better life, one away from all this strife,'

'They fought for what was necessary, Reis. Don't forget that _you _were the one to have that said to. Don't feel guilty at all, they would have fought on by themselves and lost if they didn't have you,'

_If they didn't have me. Am I that special? Am I that different from other people? No…I think like an average person…I eat and sleep like them all…but what makes me different? My ability to turn into a dragon? I surely think not… Looking from four legs is one thing, but the exposed feeling it gives, the reduction in my ability to think…no, it is definitely not a blessing. It is a curse…and yes, a blessing if some people consider it that way. Glory and power is earned by sacrifice…and a great sacrifice I have made, through the lives of others… What is becoming of me? Am I becoming corrupted as well? Corrupted by the promises of glory and power that battle brings? No…this cannot be…I will not become corrupted…I must not dabble in the dark side…_

'Are you alright, Reis?' Aeris asked, snapping Reis out of her trance, 'You seem a little tired and worn. Maybe you should rest,'

'Yes…I guess so,' she said, standing up and pushing her chair back in.

Leaving the noise-flooded room, she walked towards an opening in the rock that led outside. Staring at the sparkling stars above, she clambered over the rocks, further upwards, until she stood atop the fort.

She picked up a rock, wanting to throw away her sorrows in the rock somehow, when she discovered a bright red, perfectly round stone. Holding it up to the light, Reis could have sworn she saw something moving within. Pocketing the stone, she began to climb back down.

_I'll tell Aeris about this. Maybe she knows what this is._

Finding Aeris still in the same seat, she quickly walked up to her. Placing the stone down in the middle of the table, she took a cup of water and sipped at it, peering at Aeris.

'Do you know what this is?'

'What? Oh…you found…oh my God…a huge materia?'

'Oh…so that's what it is,' Reis said, placing the stone in her dress pocket.

'Well…because it's so huge, it may have some strange powers that I haven't seen before,'

'I'll try to see what it does,'

The two of them ducked as a chair went flying; the effects of alcohol had taken away the soldiers' logical thought; it was now an all-out bar brawl. Sidling along the wall, they inched their way towards the door, dodging bits of glass and furniture. Creeping out of the room, they sneaked back to their room.

The following morning…

Reis jumped up out of bed. She had made up her mind during the night. She will not trouble Aeris any more, and nobody else for that matter. Picking up the set of metal claws given to her by the blacksmith, she tiptoed quietly out of the room, climbing the ladder as silently as it was possible. Jumping over the windowsill, she began her trip on her way to find a way out of this world.

'Where are you going, Reis? Aren't you staying with me?' a familiar voice said.

Turning around, she saw Aeris, sitting on the grass next to the window. _How did she know? I had only decided this in the night…there's no way she could know for sure…this must be a coincidence…yes, a coincidence._

'Please, Reis,' she said, holding the other woman's white hands in her own, 'I need you to protect me. I don't think that you are a burden on my shoulders. And I guess the other people think the same way too,'

'No, Aeris,' she said, pushing her away gently, 'I've used too many people. Best I can do now is to find a way back to where I came from…even if it means death is the fastest way there,'

'Reis! How can you think that!' she shouted, stepping backwards in shock, 'I always thought you were a strong woman…I'm disappointed, I thought you knew better!'

She gave a hollow laugh, and continued walking away to a place she did not know where.

Aeris jogged alongside her, pleading for her to stay.

'Please reconsider, Reis. You saved the lives of those people up there. Without you, they would have perished. Don't think that you're a burden on them,'

'It does not matter what you say, I will still go on where I will,'

'Reis…please…I need you…don't forget my friends…they are to be executed…and I need you to rescue them,'

'But I will still then be a burden to your soul and conscience,' she said, 'What if I fail? What if they were killed before I return them to you? I would be guilty for their deaths, and you would be stricken with grief,'

'I would still be grieving for them anyway,' Aeris said, her voice growing hard and cold, 'It's not as though they're not going to die if we don't rescue them. Or are you afraid of the Shinra?'

'Indeed I am,' she said, in a mocking sort of tone, 'Ooh, there's a Shinra wimp, let's run away. I think not,'

'I can't believe this. Where has the Reis that I met disappeared to? Here's an empty shell of her, standing right in front of me. Sure, you have all her looks, but you cannot be truly Reis. You have lost that inner compassion, the very element of your soul that makes you unique and strong,'

Reis stopped abruptly. Turning back, she said, 'Have I really lost my compassion? Have I lost my kindness and gentleness? Well, maybe not gentleness, but have I become corrupted?'

'I must say, you have!' Aeris shouted, her face turning red. Tears flowed down her cheeks. _This is not the Reis that I met, _she thought.

'Then what can I do!' she roared, 'I don't want to fight any more; I don't want to see any more bloodshed. There's enough of that right now, and I don't want to be the cause of more of it,'

'You can end it now,' Aeris whispered, 'you can end it now, by using your power to end the lives of the evil leaders. It is only when we fight back against the evil we will succeed in defeating them. Not any other way. We have to resist. Or are you willing, on the account of your conscience, to place the burden of all the world's deaths and sufferings?'

'How is it my fault?' Reis said, startled by this response, 'How is it? I haven't caused all of them,'

'You're as guilty as a murderer, if you allow a death that you can prevent. There is still time to change history. There is still time to save lives. There is still time to protect the innocent. And lastly, after you have done that, you may still have time to go and do what you will!'

Reis sat down on the ground at these words. Never, has she thought, that she was evil. The stroke of darkness that runs through her soul…she had never thought it existed. Aeris' words illuminated that darkness, gaping, yawning wide in the purity of the rest of her untarnished soul.

'All right,' she said, resignedly, 'I will follow whatever you tell me to do. But after that, I will leave for my world, wherever or in whatever way I can do so,'

'Thank you so much, Reis,' Aeris said, hugging her friend, returned from darkness.

'Hey, you two,' the fort leader said, pulling along two chocobos, walking towards Reis, 'Have these. It's the least I can do to show my appreciation,'

'Thank you,'

Waving a farewell, the leader ran back towards his fort, disappearing within. Reis mounted her chocobo, and Aeris did the same. They streaked off into the distance, the yellow birds carrying them along like the wind.

At the door to sector 5…Midgar City, Midgar, in the evening…

Reis took off her dress and skirt, placing them on the back of her chocobo. Transforming into a dragon, she slipped on the metal claws, ready for a long battle ahead. Aeris pulled the chocobo away, shouting, 'I'm counting on you!' at her as she left.

Licking her lips, she drew back her claws, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the door with one keen ultramarine eye, then striking down with great force onto the hinges of the gate. In four strikes, the four hinges were removed, thrown some distance away by the power of the blow. Whipping down the door with her tail, she entered the city.

It was dark within the city, unlike the outdoors that she was used to. Lit only by lamps, the city glowed in an eerie green light, familiar in some way…

Bystanders gawked at her as she stomped her way down the streets of the busy slum, giving her a wide berth either side of the road. Shinra guards dropped their weapons in shock, their jaws wide open. _What are they looking at? Haven't they seen a dragon before?_

At last, she arrived at a sort of platform that appeared to take her up to the top. Reading a sign that said 'Railway Station', she began to climb the spiral structure of the rails.

After a quarter hour climb, she arrived at the top of the metal plate. A vast building sat on top of it, soaring towards the pitch-black sky, uncountable floors climbing the air towards the heavens above. _They must be in there, _she thought.

Smashing into the building, she caught the word 'Shinra' etched across the surface of some glass panels. _So this is the Shinra headquarters…well, they're going to die…today, by my own hands, I will exact my terrible revenge…_

And then a small voice spoke in her head, _You're becoming more corrupted, Reis. Stop thinking like that._

'Be quiet, you,' she growled to herself, furious.

A number of Shinra guards ran towards her, inspecting the source of the commotion.

'Stop right there!' one of them said, raising a rifle.

'Very funny, you bloody idiots!' she roared, to the apparent shock of the guards. Never have they thought dragons could speak (this one is special, you all know that). Throwing herself at them, she tossed them aside before a single shot was fired. A sickening crack, followed by a heavy thud, and the guards lay on the floor, with broken necks and crushed bodies.

Ascending the staircase, she broke down the security doors on the second floor. Striking down the mechanical guardians next to the lift, she let out a fearsome roar, tossing their bodies at the corridor, crushing the guards who had come running to assist.

_This is ridiculously slow. I will burn my way through._

Reis reared up, digging her rear claws into the shiny marble tiles. Gathering energy in her mouth, she possessed all the look of an enraged dragon, bloodstains spattered all over her scales.

Blasting a hole through fifty floors, Reis flew up through the sizable gap, whizzing past stunned officers and workers, occasionally striking down a guard and throwing him down the hole. Then she came to the cells.

'Cloud!' she roared, embers dropping onto the floor.

'Reis…!' he said, stunned, 'How did you get in here?'

'No time to explain,' she growled, 'We must escape,'

'I surely think not,' Rufus said, approaching behind Cloud and striking him senseless with the butt of his shotgun.

_Must I fight him again? Yes…I will…to redeem my dishonour at Icicle, I will kill him now…and maybe save some people from their sufferings…_

Striking madly with both claws at Rufus, she attempted with all her might to kill the villain. He parried her attacks easily, striking her claws away with his shotguns.

'That is enough,' he said lazily, deflecting another strike, 'Time for me to get serious,'

He fired both shotguns into her left claw. The metal bent at odd angles as the pellets pounded at the hard steel, rendering the claw useless for efficient destruction.

Reis, enraged, gathered her strength up far more quickly than she ever had done before; showering Rufus with a barrage of mixed ice, thunder and fire breaths, she forced him back towards the windows. Pressed against them, he could do nothing. Cowering against the glass like a coward, he fell on his knees for mercy. But that was not enough to pacify Reis' almighty rage. Picking him up with the damaged claw, she pointed at the city of Midgar with her good claw.

'See that? See that city?' she growled menacingly, glowering at Rufus, 'You will fall down there in a moment. Pray to God, for you will soon meet the everlasting sleep of death,'

'Please, spare my life, and I will give you all you want,' he pleaded, hands clasped together.

'HAH! You think that I will spare your worthless, sinful life! Enough talk, prepare to face your doom,'

Reis smashed the window with a swift strike of her claw, Cloud and the rest standing behind her, stunned, looking at Rufus pleading for his life. With one fell swing, Rufus was catapulted out of the heights…into the distance…falling down, accelerating…until he landed in the middle of a crossroad, where he was immediately lynched by a crowd of disgruntled slum-dwellers.

Spitting ice fragments down, Reis turned around to Cloud and his friends, who gaped at her, amazed.

'Come on, climb on my back, I'll take you out of here to Aeris,' she growled, irritated by the looks that she received today. _I'm not special, I'm anything but special. But people think that I am. What is it about me that makes me special!_

Bounding through the wide streets of upper Midgar, she dodged the bullet sprays of the Shinra Military Police, Cloud and the rest clinging on tightly for dear life as Reis made a sudden leap out of the city. Gliding along, they sailed in the air towards freedom…

**A/N**

Well, how was it? This is only Act 1 of this story, there are another **3 **acts to follow and this one still isn't complete. I will be moving this to 'M' when the time comes for…oh, I'm not going to spoil it. But, all the same, keep your eyes open when this story vanishes from the 'T' section, because if it does, it's moved to M. Keep reading all you fans of this fanfic! Oh…wait…theres only one… :P…ah well, I hope more ppl read this.


	13. Lost Cause

'I have had my revenge. Let us go now,' Reis growled, staring coldly at Aeris, 'There is nothing to be had from saving those corrupted people within the city,'

'There is still hope for them to change,' Aeris said, gripping her staff, 'There is hope for them to change their ways and return to the good from where they came,'

'You are stating the impossible, Aeris. No matter how hard you try, the cruel, corrupted and power-hungry fools within the city will never adjust to the good of nature and light,'

'Then let me perform the impossible! I will go back into Midgar and evacuate as many people before the city collapses!'

'Dream on, foolish young one,' Reis growled, moving away. She had ruptured one of the main power control panels when she blasted a hole through the centre of the Shinra building; the reactors steamed away, burning up the Mako energy in unprecedented amounts, overheating their cooling systems and emitting poisonous clouds of gas. The people within struggled to escape, hijacking vehicles and destroying buildings in a desperate bid to exit the steel city.

Aeris ran into the middle of the chaos, attempting to guide the citizens out through the nearest gate. The air held a sickly green tinge to it; a rotten stench in the air, nauseating, asphyxiating; it was a wonder the people could still survive in the hellish conditions.

'Hurry!' Aeris shouted out, breathing heavily, 'Get out of the city through this gate!'

'We are trying as best we can, girl! You get out of this 'ere city now, as well!'

'There they are! The Ancient who escaped! Shoot her dead!' a vicious voice said, causing Aeris to jump.

Dodging bullets, Aeris sprinted out of the city gates, followed by a horde of Shinra troops.

Unrelenting, they showered burst after burst of bullets after Aeris, clipping her once or twice on the shoulders, running madly after her. Aeris looked fearfully behind her; was this the city that she had known? It seemed more like a city of evil than a city of prosperity and good.

At last, Aeris could run no longer; the troops fired a last volley of bullets. Riddling her body with deadly wounds, Aeris coughed up blood, collapsing onto the black dirt beneath. A dark shadow passed behind the troops, causing some of them to look back in fear, before…

_Wham! _A large tail swept across the rear of the soldiers, flinging two dozen blue-clad men into the sky, screaming as they sailed violently through the air. Reis had come back, unable to bear the thought of Aeris going into the city alone. Snapping some Shinra heads off, she struck others down, before staring down at a cowering soldier and blasting him to ash with her fiery breath. In a brief moment, the entire company was dead, slain by a dragoner by the name of Reis Dular.

Transforming into her beautiful self again, she approached Aeris.

_It's not too late, _she thought, seeing Aeris' bloody form on the ground, her eyes blank and unfocused, breathing heavy and hindered. _It's not too late to save her…I think? Oh my…it's all my fault, its ALL my fault that she went into the city alone…_

Reis fell down onto the ground, sobbing into Aeris' brown tangled mass. The Ancient lifted a feeble hand onto Reis' face, stroking it once, before her hand fell limp. _No! This can't be! She can't die…she won't die… … … I'm as guilty for letting her die…as those men that shot her…I had the chance to save her, I had the choice to save her…and now it's too late, she's dead…_

'R…eis…' she gasped, amid the coughs of blood that she made, 'I…t…has been…good…being…with…you…'

'Aeris? Aeris! No!' Reis howled, striking the ground with her fist.

_You're as guilty as the person who kills, if you had the chance to save the killed before…_

_No…I'm not guilty for her death…_

_You're as guilty as those men, Reis. Face your fate, you are tainted by the murder of an innocent life._

_No…I didn't murder her…_

_You have murdered her for you have allowed her to walk into certain death._

_No…I didn't force her to walk in there…I could not have prevented her from walking in there…_

_You are guilty of her death! Face the truth, Reis Dular!_

Reis snapped out of the trance when she heard a faint tinkling noise on the rock next to Aeris' head. Wiping the tears of sorrow from her pale cheek, she stood up and walked over to the source of the sound. There was a silver stone next to Aeris' hair clip.

Picking it up, Reis held the warmth in her hands, before Cloud and his friends rushed over the hill to find Reis standing on the barren ground. Their eyes swept across the field, staring at the pile of dead Shinra soldiers, before finding the dead form of Aeris on the black dirt. Realising the bitter truth, they all fell on their knees, heads bowed, tears trickling down with a soft Realising the bitter truth, they all fell on their knees, heads bowed, tears trickling down with a soft _tap tap _on the ground.

A mighty shock rocked the earth as Midgar's seven reactors exploded into shards of flaming metal and stone. The great plate of metal quivered on the spot, shaking, convulsing—before falling with certain finality onto the people beneath.

'Come on…let's give Aeris our final respects before we are discovered here,' Cloud said, standing up and picking Aeris up on his shoulders, 'Oh, and Reis, please wear some clothes…not that I have a problem against you, but your beauty unnerves me,'

'Oh, is that so, is it?' Tifa said, crossing her arms.

'Whatever. We have to get out of here, all the same,'

That evening, under the shadow of a blood-red sunset, the group stood next to the sea, their heads bowed. Cloud walked over into the surf, holding Aeris in his arms. Letting her go into the sapphire waters, he stepped back, biting back the bitter loss. _Why did she have to do that foolish thing? Why?_


	14. Premonition of Duty

'Aeris-no, Reis,' Tifa said, blushing when she made a mistake, 'Would you like to come with us?'

'No thank you,' Reis said, voice low and dejected.

'Look…I know Aeris' death has affected you greatly, but it affected all of us as well,'

'So what would you have me do? Act as your dog and servant all day and night?' Reis shouted, losing her temper. This was quite enough for her. Aeris' death had left her with a sour feeling of contempt for herself, and Tifa's consolations didn't help much either.

'That's—that's not what I meant—' Tifa stuttered, in complete shock at this sudden outburst of rage.

'Do you realise that Icould have saved her! That I could have taken away her death! That I could have protected her? Do you realise that! Do you? I am, therefore, responsible for her death!' Reis shouted, an sudden stroke of anger from a grieving soul.

'I-I'm so sorry for you, Reis, but-'

'Oh, so you're sorry for me, are you!' Reis said, clenching her fists, 'So you just say, 'I'm so sorry', and think that it would help? NO! Now it might be a fine gesture on any other occasion, but now is not the time!'

'But-'

'I don't need your apologies and anything else that you would have to offer!'

'Look,' Tifa said, clapping a hand to Reis' mouth, 'What would Aeris have done, if she were in your place? What would she have done, if you were the one dead and she the one alive?'

Reis fell into an awkward silence. She hadn't thought about what Aeris wanted her to do. Letting her anger ebb away, she muttered quietly, 'She would have me finish off what she needed to do,'

'Exactly. That's why you need to come with us,' Tifa said, taking in a deep breath to calm down her nerves. Reis was a basket case at times…

The airship, Highwind, was ready to move, a vast floating object in turquoise skies. It hovered steadily above the ruins of Midgar, now a smouldering, toxic pile of rubble. Climbing aboard the great vehicle, the group traveled towards the Forgotten City of the Ancients…

'How long will this take?' Reis asked Tifa, wishing that this would be quick.

'About two hours, I will say,'

'The sooner, the better…I want to get back to my world when this chaos is all over,'

'I will see to that if I can,'

A great shock ran through the very structure of the airship as they passed over the Forgotten City. Barret hollered a number of rude words before arriving to his senses and equipping his Missing Score. Sensing an enemy onboard the ship, the group moved quietly over to the outside deck…

_I can sense something…oddly familiar…_

'Wait here,' Reis said to the rest, barring their path with her slender arm, 'I will check it out,'

'But surely you couldn't-' the others protested, wanting to stay as a group.

'I SAID WAIT HERE!' Reis bellowed, causing the others to flinch and take two steps backward, fearful at this sudden display of anger.

Reis walked along the narrow catwalks of The Highwind, examining every nook and cranny. Then, when she walked on the topmost deck, she saw to her surprise…

'My…what a large dragon,'

The dragon roared. _Be off with you, human._

'Let's just say…it is easier to talk like this!' she shouted, transforming into a dragon after she had stripped off her clothes.

'_A human who could turn into a dragon?' _the dragon growled, examining her with one large, yellow eye, '_I've never seen that in the two thousand years that I have existed,'_

'Indeed,' Reis hissed, 'I am a dragoner, one who possesses the ability to transform into a dragon,'

'_So the blood of the Holy Dragon runs within your veins?' _ the dragon snorted, sniffing at Reis' chest area. She wasn't sure if this was a friendly or hostile gesture, as she had never had this done before.

'May be true,' Reis grunted.

'_Then, you must be here to rid the world of evil. Take me along with you. I have been awakened at last, after one thousand years of slumber, to crush the evil that casts a shadow over this world. That is my one and only purpose: to destroy great evil whenever it appears,'_

'You must be longing for the day when you can finally rest,'

'_Correct. Where most creatures deem death a curse and undesirable event, I…I alone see it as a blessing. Condemned to eternal life, in the constant shadow of danger, in the ever-present lingering presence of evil, I am forced to subsist on this dreadful planet. I must, however, be grateful, for the planet itself had given birth to me,'_

The dragon tucked its dark wings in, folding them neatly like a sheet of black canvas over its shiny anthracite scales. Leaning forwards, it gave a dragon's version of a kiss on Reis' lengthened, scaly cheek.

She transformed back into her normal self once more, and slipped on her white silk dress.

'_There is one thing I haven't done, and that is to introduce myself. I am called the Ultima Weapon. Why I am called that is still a mystery to me,' _the dragon growled, lying flat on the metal deck.

'I am Reis Dular, a dragoner from Ivalice,'

'_I have never heard of that place, nor have I any clue as to if it exists. However, I will take your word for it. Farewell, holy dragoner,'_

Reis ran the entire length of the Highwind, until she arrived back into the control room.

'So, what was it?' Tifa said, screwing studs onto her combat gloves.

'It's a dragon. One called the Ultima Weapon. Don't worry,' she said, seeing Barret and the red dog next to him flinch, 'It's not going to attack us. In fact, it will help us to defeat Sephiroth,'

'Really? I will take you word for it, young lady,' Cid shouted over the roar of the engines as he started up the propellers' extra engines; they were nearly at a vast crater that seemed to touch the heavens themselves.

'Alright. So where are we going to find Sephiroth or whatever his name is?'

'That big cone of crap over there,' Barret said, pointing at the crater, 'I'm not going to let Sephiroth live for what he's done,'

'What has he done that's so bad?' Reis asked, curious.

'Oh my God. You haven't noticed THAT!' Tifa shouted, pointing at a large, flaming, angry fireball in the sky, 'It's going to hit this place anytime soon if we don't take out Sephiroth,'

'Sounds pretty urgent to me,' Reis said, pulling a mithril two-handed katana from the weapons shelf opposite Barret, 'I will cut down that fiend if I need to,'

'That's the spirit,' Tifa said, embracing Reis, hugging her energetically, 'I knew I could count on you,'

'We're nearly there,' Cid called out from behind the large airship pilot's seat, 'Get your gear, we're going to leave as soon as we land,'

Reis twirled the katana around between two fingers, Cloud looking envious at the dragoner's sword-handling capabilities. Though never tested on a battle before, Reis was certain that her skills with the blade would suffice for the upcoming battle.


	15. One Winged Angel

'Move down. As quickly as you can, we haven't got much time!' Cid hollered over the loud bubbling of the Mako crater.

'Don't we all know that, Cid!' Tifa said, quivering on the climbing rope, 'It's not as though I don't want to hurry! I positively detest heights,'

'So, how do you want to get down into the crater?' Reis asked Ultima Weapon, stroking its jet-black neck.

'_We fly. Climb on my back,' _it growled, unfurling its charcoal canvas wings and stretching them out.

Gingerly, Reis clambered on the dragon's back, the others staring in apprehension at the strange sight. Barret even mouthed some silent curses, before sliding down the coarse brown climbing rope. The Weapon flapped its wings, hovering a few inches above the metal deck of the Highwind, before soaring off into the sky. Reis held on, her silk dress fluttering in the rush of air, the two-handed katana falling this way and that as they plunged down into the depths of the crater. Howling winds passed over their ears as they flew into the dark depths of the crater, the eerie, dim glow of the Mako energy illuminating their outlines in a faint aura of unease.

Treading softly on the dusty stone floor, Reis crept along the edge of the crater, peering down at her feet; there were cliffs, fifty, sixty, possibly a hundred feet down. Falling would be certain death. Shivering, Reis continued on, inching her way across the narrow passage, while Ultima Weapon stayed where he landed, staring up at the rest of the party, who were scaling down the steep granite walls of the crater, slowly, carefully.

'_Slow, pitiful humans,' _he hissed, shaking his head in disappointment, '_We need to act quickly. They said it themselves. Now look at them. Slow, incompetent fools they are,'_

'Hush, Ultima, they're not totally useless,' Reis shouted, stepping down onto a wider platform of stone with a large, gaping hole in the wall behind her. A strange feeling spread on her shoulder, heated air being blown in steady bursts behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the head of a dragon, its flaming red eyes staring straight at her, its mouth open and displaying a razor-sharp set of teeth, bent at odd angles. Breathing embers onto the ground, the dragon stepped forward, forcing Reis to step backward.

'_What do you want here, human?' _the dragon growled, leering at her with one crimson eye, '_Go back to your puny friends. You are not welcome here,'_

'I believe I have every right to step in this place, your serpent-y-ness,' Reis retorted, insulted by the dragon's words, 'And also I believe that I have the right to kill. Back, now, before I am forced to kill you,'

'_Is that so, puny human? Let's put that to the test, shall we!' _the dragon roared, as if in laughter, before Reis brought down her two handed katana onto the opposing dragon's neck. Inflicting a deep gash, Reis stepped back, further towards the edge of the ledge, while the serpent hissed in pain, blood spurting out from its ruptured flesh. It was not, however, enough to discourage the dragon; it moved forwards, deliberately, forcefully. Knocking Reis off the edge of the cliff, the dragon roared in glee, pleased with its success.

Reis held on to the cliff with one hand, straining it as much as she could. _I must not fall, _she thought. Rocks crumbled from beside her hand, falling down the distance and evaporating before they touched the bottom, the intense Mako radiation from beneath sufficient to vaporize the stones.

A series of claw-slashing sounds, grunting and snarling, and the body of a black and silver dragon was tossed unceremoniously from above, dripping blood on Reis, its body disfigured by numerous slashes and bite marks; one of its front legs was severed and its neck appeared to be broken. Descending into the Mako pool, the corpse disintegrated, no trace of it remaining.

Scooping up Reis with one black claw, Ultima Weapon made a comment that made Reis' ears burn in embarrassment:

'_Have you truly got the blood of the Holy Dragon within your veins? I am sorry if I hurt your feelings, however your fighting style does not reflect upon the skill, grace and precision of the Holy Dragon. In short, you are far inferior to your ancestor…if what you said is true,'_

'Of course it's true!' Reis shouted, spreading her arms to the heavens, 'I've been locked up in a coal mine for a number of years just because I was a Holy Dragon for that time!'

'_A true, honorable dragon would never be subject to humans,' _the dragon hissed, disgusted, '_They would not fall into hiding, no. They would resist, and claim their freedom, even to the death. You have dishonoured us. However, I must go on, for I may not break my word,'_

Now that the party had been regrouped, it was time to begin the assault on the Northern Crater…

Ultima Weapon led the way, blasting aside crystalline materia stalactites; their powder billowed through the darkened tunnels as she crushed them to powder or heated them to breaking point. Stamping down on the uneven ground, Ultima Weapon had all the looks of a bulldozer; he had leveled a smooth, flat pathway through a previously inaccessible cavern, magic pots and shadow dragons dashing as fast as they could for the nearest exit. Imposing as Ultima Weapon may be, Reis saw a kind side to him; he was chivalrous to the last degree, though perhaps not quite for the 'being nice to women at all times' part, and keen to preserve as much life as it was possible. Indeed, he had the power to end many lives in this cavern; he had just walked into one full of shadow dragons; he could have slain them all with one searing blast of his flaming breath, scorch their flesh and bones with his lightning breath and finish them off with a good barrage of Flares.

Following behind the large dragon in his path of obliteration, the party shifted along, examining every shadow and every movement. Once or twice they had mistaken the red dog for a small shadow dragon; naturally, he bit down upon Barret's hand, who had opened fire as soon as he saw the tufted tail. Howling in pain, Barret danced in circles, holding and massaging the throbbing bite mark upon his hand.

Repressing an urge to laugh, Reis moved on forwards, holding her katana above her head, ready to strike. Sure enough, there was something moving across the floor to the side—better wait for it…

'Feel the power of the Planet!' an icy voice said, a silver-haired man yelled, striking Reis' katana out of her hands with an even larger katana. A fleeting moment passed, where Reis thought she would die—a moment of shock, a moment of inactivity, a moment where time was slowed down to a near complete stop. Had the blade been lowered but an inch lower, her hand would have been severed—she had been saved by the wide hilt of her katana.

Just as Reis picked up her curved blade and was ready to strike, the man vanished—twirling a cloak around himself, he disappeared without a single fragment of evidence that he was even there at all. Lowering her sword slowly, Reis muttered, 'Whoever that person is, he's got to be very skilled…'

'We'll protect you,' Tifa said, putting her arm around Reis' back, though a little unnecessary as Reis pushed it away. Barret was flat on the ground; peering into a hole.

'Shit. There are several shadow dragons moving this way. Sephiroth must have ordered them to come here,'

'That would be easy to take care of,' Reis said, fingering her blade, 'I will slice them to pieces,'

'That just doesn't sound like you, Reis,' Tifa said, crossing her arms, 'Aeris told me that you were a gentle woman,'

'Well, I might have been one once upon a time. Let us not tarry, we must hurry, if we are to stop Sephiroth's plans of ultimate destruction,'

Reis dashed towards the shadow dragons, her katana blade held aloft in the air, ready to strike down. Her eyes were no longer the kind, deep blue eyes that they once were; now they were cold, hard aquamarine orbs, a fierce glow emanating from within them. Slashing off the first dragon's head, Reis had something to prove to Ultima Weapon; even if it meant killing a creature that she most loved, a creature that was nearly her own flesh and blood. She spun her blade around like a windmill, deflecting a fire breath from one, to the amazement of Tifa and Barret, before thrusting the deadly tip of the sword through the dragon's chest, impaling its heart and lungs in one fatal stab. Drawing the blade out of the black flesh, Reis struck the dragon behind her in the eye with her fist, before swinging her blade twice, three times, causing the dragon to stagger backwards in pain, two gashes delivered to the face, obliterating the eyes, and another at the neck, bleeding copiously. She then jumped up, her blade held high, point straight down—the dragon roared in agony before collapsing, its spine having been broken by the downward movement of the sword.

Turning to the last shadow dragon, she saw that it cowered on the ground, terrified, before running off as fast as its four legs could take it.

'Well, I have proved my dragon-like ability to fight, have I not?' Reis asked Ultima Weapon, who nodded and walked forward, tail swinging slowly as he moved.

'How on earth did you manage to kill three dragons in such a short time?' Tifa asked, eyes wide in amazement, as Reis attempted to wipe off the crimson stains off her face.

'I have no idea. Possibly it is from my dragon descent,' Reis replied, climbing down another cliff, which appeared to descend into the base of the crater.

The party reached the base of the crater, breathing in the stale fumes given off by the greenish, bubbling liquid at the base. A black stone hovered above the centre, about three feet off the base of a rock platform. Reis made a movement for it; but was barred by Ultima Weapon's tail.

'_Allow me to go first,' _he hissed, eyeing the stone with utmost caution, '_It is my duty as a guardian of the Planet,'_

'But why?' Reis asked, perplexed, 'It's only a black stone, suspended in the air due to magical auras of some sort,'

'_It is my duty as a guardian of the Planet,' _it repeated, treading slowly over the black rock floor towards the stone, '_Do not question me any more, young dragoner. Remember of your manners as a dragon. Respect the elder ones, just as they respect you, and follow their decisions to whatever end it may lead to,'_

Reis followed Ultima Weapon, about ten feet behind him all the way. The Mako pool bubbled ominously as they approached the black object, spitting out freezing shards of green fluid. She even thought that she could hear Aeris' voice talking to her again when some splashed next to her ear, barely audible, faint. Before Ultima Weapon had the chance to take down the black stone, a shape moved with incredible speed along the edge of the pool, finally leaping the entire length of the lake, landing neatly on the rock platform and slashing a wound in Ultima Weapon's outstretched claw.

A silver-haired man, with a large two-handed katana. She had seen this man before. She had been nearly killed by this man, who had inflicted that deadly wound on her stomach.

'Welcome to my kingdom,' he announced, spreading his hands out to the blackened interior of the crater, 'Make yourself welcome…before you will join the Reunion, where you will become one with the Planet…one with me once again,'

'Sephiroth!' Cloud shouted, running up next to Reis, his blade trailing behind him, 'So that is your plan! To try and kill all life with the forbidden magic, to gain power for yourself!'

'No, no, I am not getting strength and power for myself,' he laughed, staring coldly at them all, 'I am merely allowing them a share of the incredible strength that they will have, once all the life and the Planet itself had merged together. You see, that was my plan; to unite all life and energy within one entity; to use the lifestream itself to create a single, most powerful living thing. Simply to put it, you are witnessing the birth of a God!'

'I will not allow you to do this!' Cloud said, swinging his buster sword madly, 'I will strike you down, now! Before you can destroy life itself!'

'Speak for yourself, fool,' Sephiroth replied lazily, batting away Cloud's sword with a single sweep of his katana, 'YOU are the one that I will strike down—now, as you put it,'

Cloud, deprived of his weapon, became an easy prey for Sephiroth. Picking him up, Sephiroth slammed Cloud down onto the ground with absurd ease, the spiky-haired man not standing a chance against the powerful arm of his once-had-been mentor. Grappling madly with the one arm of Sephiroth, he never knew another thing; Sephiroth gave off sparks as he launched one final attack on Cloud, allowing a powerful current of electricity to flow within himself and through to Cloud. Instantaneously incinerated, the smoking form of Cloud was disposed of, thrown to a distant corner behind Reis.

'Now, who will be next?' Sephiroth said, his grey eyes scanning the cavern, stopping at Ultima Weapon, whose claw had been mangled beyond healing with a single sweep of Sephiroth's blade, 'I think you would do,'

He held out a palm, gathering energy from the nearby Mako pool, flecks of light gathering at the base of his palm, spreading to the entire hand, before throwing the collected force towards Ultima Weapon. Blasted off his feet, the dragon was promptly sent into the depths of the Mako pool, sinking, giving agonized roars of pain before succumbing to eternal sleep in the frozen depths of the green fluid.

'You, young lady, would you care to join me in one last dance?' Sephiroth asked, holding out his hand, 'In one last dance of death?'

'I will never join a villain such as you,' Reis spat, holding out her katana in front of her.

'Pity…it is such a pity that I have to end the life of such a beautiful lady. You would have been acceptable as my queen. En garde!'

The decisive duel began. Sephiroth's two-handed katana swept downwards, dodged by Reis, before the legendary warrior kicked her to the ground. Reis immediately jumped up again, parrying a swift blow deftly with her katana, striking Sephiroth in the stomach with her fist. The punch went unheeded; he made a sweeping movement with his blade to her head. Reis ducked, before slashing Sephiroth's leg with her katana.

'Ugh! You aren't any normal woman, aren't you?' Sephiroth yelled, blood spurting out of his slashed calf.

'You can say that if you want,' she shouted back, panting as she parried another potentially deadly strike.

'Normal or not, you will die by my hands today!'

The two made a wild swing with their large blades in the same directions, meeting in a weapon lock. Grunting and panting, the two pushed their weight into their weapons, sweat dripping down their faces. Reis' golden sheets rippled as Sephiroth knocked back her weapon, though she still held it. Her hand still unsteady, she was unable to deflect a blow that Sephiroth delivered.

'Argh!' she screamed, blood seeping down the arm of her silk robe, the blade having sliced the flesh of her shoulder down to the bone.

'Now we're even,' he said, a mad glint in his eyes.

Ignoring the pain, Reis kicked Sephiroth in the shin, knocking him down in a howl of agony. Batting the sword a fair distance away, she pointed the blade of her katana at his neck.

'I don't believe it,' Barret muttered, eyes wide open, aghast, 'T-This woman took on the greatest swordsman in the world and won! I must be having a dream…'

'Say your prayers,' Reis snarled, her fine features distorted in anger.

'Say my prayers? I think not,' he mocked, raising his hand and blasting Reis with a powerful blast of energy, sending her flying a few feet, disarming her katana, 'Now we'll see who should say their prayers,'

Circling each other, the two injured warriors made insulting movements and feigned attacks, snarling and spitting. Barret moved closer to the two, as quietly as possible, while the wounded Ultima Weapon rose to the surface of the Mako lake, breathing heavily but otherwise alive, dripping in green fluid and scrambling over the edge of the steaming green surface.

'Reis! Duck!' Barret screamed, as he turned on his machine gun and aimed it at Sephiroth. Deflecting the bullets easily with one sweep of magical energy, he glared at Barret, who froze as the effects of Stop took hold of him.

'Fool. All that oppose me shall die!'

'_Reis!' _Ultima Weapon roared, throwing Sephiroth's disarmed katana at her. She caught it gracefully, spinning it in one hand before resuming her fighting stance. Sephiroth stepped backwards. Grinning malevolently, he gathered energy in his hand again, but not quick enough. Reis brought down the dreaded blade, severing his hand in one swing.

Screaming, Sephiroth blasted Reis with what energy he had gathered. It was only sufficient to knock the blade out of her hands, however; she was only knocked over, stunned slightly. Limping over, Sephiroth picked her up by the neck with one hand.

'You will pay for what you did,' he hissed, 'No more mercy for you,'

Reis convulsed as a powerful shock raced through her body. The blinding pain escaped her lips as a high-pitched scream. Never before had she endured agony of this kind.

'Comfortable?' he mocked, enjoying the display of pain, 'How about another dose?'

_I mustn't go on like this. There must be a way out…_and then she remembered the knife Beowulf gave her on her engagement. Drawing it out of the sheath as another shock pulsed through her, she gathered her strength for one finishing strike…

Stabbing upwards with the silver knife, Reis pierced Sephiroth's ribs; through cloth, skin, flesh and bone, fatally damaging his heart and vital organs. The legendary warrior collapsed; a brief curse escaping his lips as his soul faded away into inexistence.

Now, holding a blood-stained knife and sporting a bleeding shoulder, Reis had to figure out a way to escape. The walls of the crater were crumbling; large boulders were crashing down onto the ground.

'No,' she muttered to herself, 'I mustn't leave empty-handed,'

Laying her hand on Sephiroth's corpse, she uttered a quick incantation to crystallize his mind. Absorbing the crystal, she felt a sudden surge of energy, a burst of knowledge and battle experience flooding her mind. Picking up his katana and snatching the black stone from the air, she searched around for Barret and the other party members.

'_HERE!' _Ultima Weapon roared, motioning Reis to come with its healthy claw. It had gathered all the party members and Cloud's dead body during the last moments of Reis' duel. Spreading its wings, the dragon shot off into the sky, pulling the victorious party out of the crumbling cavern, and into the light of the world above.

Next week…

Reis sat down next to Barret and Cid, wearing a gown of jet-black linen. The red dog and Tifa were leading a coffin along, the bearers of the coffin somber and behaving as though they were carrying the body of a great war hero. Cloud had come to rest, as his coffin touched the bottom of the marble grave, his soul to rest forever in the Lifestream.

Weeping, Tifa sobbed into Barret's shoulder, who comforted her with a pat on the shoulder. Reis fingered the black materia, holding it next to Aeris' white materia and the red one she had found.

'_It is time,' _Ultima Weapon growled, '_Please, lay your hand on my side,'_

Reis did as she was told, feeling foolish. The stares of the surrounding people didn't help much either. Suddenly, in a flash of red light followed by a blast of life energy, the dragon had vanished, crystallizing at his own will. Reis, who had her hand on the dragon, picked up the crystal, which melted in her hand.

'_This is my last gift for you, Reis. It is the strength of the dragon, which both I and you possess. However, I will give you my soul, so that you may use this strength without having to disgrace yourself in front of others,' _a fading wind whispered into her ear.

'Thank you…' she said, looking up into the brilliant orange sunset.

The materia in her hands glowed, fusing together into one silver crest in the shape of a lion. Feeling its weight, Reis suddenly could not hear; she could see people mouthing at her, Cid pointing at her, Barret and the red dog running towards her, before all faded into dark shadow and disappeared…

**A/N**

THAT'S THE END OF ACT 1! hope you enjoyed reading act 1. More reviews pls, so that I can improve!


	16. ACT 2: Tides of Darkness: The purge

Vision returned to Reis as Ivalice materialised once again in front of her. The dusty, muck-covered surfaces of Mustadio's workshop, the golden globe machine, the crates of tools and things…and lastly, Mustadio and Alma.

'Reis!' Alma cried, hugging her rather tightly, 'I feared that you were dead in the week that you were gone,'

'It's alright, Alma, I'm here now,' Reis said, stroking the hair of Ramza's younger sister. _She's crying for no reason, at all…oh, maybe I'm being a little hard on that. She is a young person after all…_

Noticing that Mustadio was crouching in the corner with crimson stains instead of his usual black smears, Reis wondered to herself. Had something happened in this time?

'A—Are you alright, Mustadio?' Reis asked, staring at the man's quivering back.

'AARRGGH!' he screamed, extracting a barbed arrowhead from his arm. Blood dripped onto the grey concrete floor, spreading as Mustadio stood up, clutching at his wound.

'What happened?' Reis asked, quickly putting her shoulder under his good arm, helping him stand.

'Reis…I'm so sorry…they…the Hokuten and the Black Sheep…oh my God…I don't think I should say this to you…'

'What has really happened?' Reis asked again, with some urgency in her tone. She had a feeling that whatever it is, it is definitely not a good thing…

'Your sisters…the dragoners…they were all executed under the order of King Delita…' Agrias said, throwing the door open, her battle gear spattered with blood and fragments of flesh. She was in no good condition herself; an arrow remained embedded in her leg, while a horrid slash had disfigured her left shoulder. Limping down the stone staircase, she collapsed to the floor, to the horror of Reis.

'Agrias?' she said, feeling her neck for a sign of life, 'Oh…thank goodness, you're still alive. How long ago was this?'

'Only two days ago…he has gone mad in the past week, even had Ovelia beheaded on false charges of high treason,' (she gritted her teeth) 'To think of all the atrocities…he had accused the dragoners of wanting to usurp the throne of Ivalice, sending the entire region into hunting for them and their dragons,'

'Why…why…WHY!' Reis said, shaking uncontrollably. She was now alone. Truly alone. The last of her bloodline was now gone. No relatives, no family, no blood relations whatsoever. She was now the last dragoner.

'I will avenge…the deaths…of my family…and blood relatives…' Reis said, her eyes glowing with rage, causing Mustadio and Agrias to look up in horror, 'Revenge…that is the right word for it…I will have my revenge, even if it means my death,'

She let out a mirthless laugh, then continued on, 'Delita will face the full power of my wrath…let him cower, let his armies come. I WILL DEFEAT THEM ALL!'

'Reis…calm down…' Agrias said, backing away slowly.

'I will not rest until I have killed him. I will not rest until my sisters have been avenged. By the power of our blood bond, with the dragons and humans, I will slay every last soldier within his personal command! Now…tell me where he is,' she said, in a most dangerous voice.

'I don't think it's-'

'JUST TELL ME THE DAMNED LOCATION OF DELITA!' she roared, every moment rising in temper.

'He currently resides in Lionel Castle,' Mustadio whispered, bowing his head. Agrias shot him a stare of pure venom, mouthing some curses at him.

Without another word, Reis stormed from the workshop and called her dragon. Soaring up into the skies, she flew at top speed for Lionel Castle.

Setting down her dragon on the green fields outside of Lionel, she dashed off towards the castle, Sephiroth's katana in her hands. The guards above looked on with curiosity, seeing the beautiful woman cross the bridge, not knowing what she would do.

'_By the power of the bond of blood,_

_I borrow your strength, o Almighty,_

_Lend me the wrath of Bahamut,_

_And I will avenge the deaths of my sisters,'_

And so Reis began the siege, by herself, on her own, alone, isolated from all allies, facing a hostile world.

Smashing down the gate with one powerful blast of energy breath, she cleaved the gate guard's head off with a single sweep of her blade, letting the body fall like a sack of wheat. Kicking down the other guard, she pointed the tip of her katana at his neck, pushing it forward until he lay flat against the ground.

'Tell me,' she snarled, 'Where are the chambers of Delita?'

'It's _King _Delita to you, young lady,' the guard commented cheekily.

Blood spattered Reis' white silk battle robes as she drove the tip into the man's jugular, allowing the man to scream in pain as she smiled. More palace soldiers came running to help.

'Fools…they dare to challenge me…' she muttered, raising her blade and motioning a challenge with the other.

Stabbing the foremost soldier, she spun around, kicking the dead body down to the hard stone. The three others brought down their swords, only to be met by Reis' katana. Fire blazed in her eyes, merciless, hateful. Slashing away two pairs of hands, she allowed herself to savour that moment of an agonised scream, an enjoyment insanely beautiful to her. Kicking the last remaining guard in the groin, she knocked him down to the ground, before driving a sharp silver dagger into the man's exposed neck.

Extracting herself out of the mess, after impaling the others upon the point of her dagger, she marched upon the largest building in the castle; the keep and the great hall.

Meeting an army of half-assembled soldiers in front of her, she simply grinned in an insane, maniacal manner. Endowing her blade with fire, she twirled it above her head, causing flames to rain down upon her enemies. Blinded by the shower of embers, the soldiers lowered their weapons and dashed for the nearest cover, trembling in fear from this newest adversary. Those that could not find cover were unforgivingly roasted by the sheer heat of the inferno; tables turned to ash while the metal shields on the walls disintegrated into rusting fragments of debris. Striking down a pillar behind which a soldier was hiding, she struck him in the nose with the pommel stone of her katana; a brief scream of pain, before silenced by a series of undecipherable babbles; she had cut his neck wide open, allowing the blood to spray outwards. Running in all directions due to panic, the soldiers spread out all over the castle, shouting curses and warnings about an invasion to the surrounding emptiness.

Ascending the flights of stairs to the throne room, Reis permitted her flaming katana to trail behind her; sparks flew and caught on to the tapestries hanging on the corridor walls, engulfing them in instantaneous flame. Shattering the door of the throne room to splinters, she found Delita sitting in his throne, apparently undisturbed by the chaotic ruckus.

'Welcome to my castle,' Delita said, sipping a glass of wine.

'I have come here not for pleasantries, you evil bastard,'

'Come, sit down, talk not so harshly,'

'I have come to exact revenge upon you! By the blood of my sisters that you have spilled, let your death be a price to your sins. No; death by itself is too easy for you. May you be tortured for all eternity in the blazing furnace of Hell,' Reis spat, her rage echoing through the marble hallways.

Raising her blade to her shoulders, she charged forward, to be met by half a dozen guards who circled her.

'Try not to act so rashly,' he said absent-mindedly, still sipping on his half-empty glass of wine, 'I will try to be nice to you,'

'Not if you have executed every last one of my sisters, in the blood at least,'

She spun around, lopping off three heads and disemboweling two. Guts and brains spilled on the ground, while the last guard cowered on his feet and fell to the ground, begging for mercy. This was too late; Reis had already brought down her blade as he uttered the first 'Mercy', and had ripped his body in two. Glaring at Delita, her katana dripping with gore, she advanced towards the royal throne.

Delita stared onwards, wide-eyed, staring at a woman holding a katana against a background of utter obliteration. He gasped as Reis took hold of his throat; grappling hopelessly at her fingers, he looked with terror upon the tip of the sharp blade, in front of his two eyes. A scream tore through the entire castle as the deranged leader was slain; his brains and blood spilled over the royal velvet and ermine, the golden crown rolling across the crimson carpet and bouncing with a soft _tink _on each of the three flights of the royal podium. Letting the corpse of Delita fall, Reis collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. Her tears soaked the bloodstained carpet, her red-spattered robes bleaching slightly by the water, her knee-length golden hair coated in dried gore and moistened by sadness.

There was one more thing left to do. Picking up a torch from a nearby bracket, she threw this onto the pile of the dead. Running out the open wooden gates, she recalled her dragon, which unquestioningly took her back to Goug.

'I'm back,' Reis said, rather expressionless.

'You're back—oh my god…' Agrias said, walking up to Reis from the workshop room, 'What have you done, Reis?'

'You can say that I have avenged my sisters' deaths…'

'That's…good, I guess…but really, you didn't have to go that far…'

'SO WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!' Reis shouted, her tear-filled eyes bloodshot, 'Was I supposed to take that lying down? Was I supposed to suffer in silence? Was I supposed to let the deaths of those I love and care for go without my attention? NO! Would you have done the same, if your father or mother had been killed? Would you have done so as well if your sister or brother had been slain? YES! That was exactly how I felt about those dragoners. They-the ones who share my blood, the ones who share my flesh and bones, those that share the very same curse that others call a blessing—they were my only living relatives, relatives in distant blood at least. Now I am truly alone! How am I supposed to simply stand back and watch it all happen? I can't do it!'

Collapsing into the nearest leather couch, she buried her face into her hands and began to weep. Alma and Mustadio came up from the underground workshop, horrified to find Reis covered in blood and guts and sobbing away, with the occasional sniff and snort.

Standing up, Reis walked over in silence towards the machine. She placed the silver lion into the gap of the exact same shape in the side of the flat panel, which immediately illuminated the platform in the centre with a blinding golden light. Jumping onto the platform with not so much as a last good-bye, Reis felt the world vanish around her into darkness…

**A/N**

Well, I'm happy that someone else actually has begun reviewing it kind of annoys me to have so many hits and few reviews…


	17. Liberation of Dollet

'Ugh!' Reis cried, as she was knocked over by something fast and hard. Falling over into an entirely strange location, she landed hard on the paved sidewalk of a city.

'Drop your weapon,' A rough voice said to her.

Reis looked up, and found…a soldier with a blade held above his shoulder.

'Drop your weapon,' he repeated, lowering the blade slightly.

'No,' Reis said, feeling annoyed, 'I will not drop it. I have as much right to hold one as you do,'

'Insubordination will not be looked kindly upon by the Galbadian government,' he said, gritting his teeth, 'Drop your weapon. Now!'

'I have told you. No,' Reis said in her most dangerous voice, gripping her katana, 'You will leave me alone now, before I will tear your head from your body,'

'See-D! All soldiers to rally here now!' the man shouted out, waving his blade in the air. Immediately five soldiers ran to his aid, circling Reis.

'You—young lady, are about to learn what it means to fear Galbadia,' he snarled, licking his lips, before he brought down his blade, without warning, across her face.

Blood spattered onto the brick as Reis' face was sliced across the nose. A steady drip of fluid, staining the floor crimson.

Enraged at this unethical attack, Reis cleaved her attacker in two with her katana, spilling brains and guts onto the floor, before kicking aside the two halves of his remaining flesh and bone. The others cowered on the spot, a split second before Reis had their heads torn from their body. Letting the disfigured bodies lie on the ground, she walked on aimlessly through the city, blood still flowing down her slashed face.

Noticing that many buildings were destroyed, Reis began to wonder…was this world as war-torn as Ivalice? Or was it like this only in this area? There was no time for wondering now; a number of sirens blared and soldiers began to troop down the broad street. Hiding herself behind a number of crates, Reis looked on as they marched down the street in vast numbers.

'_The See-D have begun to land. All soldiers to create defensive perimeter immediately. I repeat, the See-D have begun to land. All soldiers to created defensive perimeter around Dollet Beach immediately,' _the siren nearest to Reis blared, causing her to jump.

Rushing out of her hiding spot, Reis was immediately fired upon by a number of soldiers. Deflecting the bullets with a wave of energy from her hand, she walked onwards, the katana trailing behind her as she walked in a non-aggressive manner, her body inviolate due to the force of the shield she had generated with the aid of her magical power. Licking the crimson liquid that flowed down her face, Reis turned around so that she faced the soldiers. They had stopped firing—noticing that Reis was obviously unaffected. A number of adolescent teenagers began to run up the street, towards Reis from behind. Holding a strange array of weapons from swords to knuckle-dusters, they appeared to be an ill-sorted bunch, in comparison to the organised army now facing them.

'Fire!' the leader of the soldiers roared, stabbing his curved saber towards Reis and the teenagers.

The soldiers' rifles blasted out bullets, speeding towards their opponents. Reis held all the bullets in suspension, to the amazement of everybody around her. Twirling them around, her face distorted in utmost concentration, she sent them all flying back at the soldiers, who in a fraction of a second lay dead, the bullets having raced through their heads, leaving nothing but a blood-spouting hole.

'Thank you for your assistance,' one of the teenagers said, one with short-cropped fair hair and holding a long, thin sword with what appeared to be a…gun mechanism where the handle should be? 'My name is Seifer, the leader of these mutts over here,' he said, pointing over to the other teenagers. One of them shrugged their shoulders, while the other shook violently, making rude hand gestures and shaking his fist at the leader.

'Come on, Chicken-wuss, bring your sorry ass over here. And you too, Squall! Don't get lazy 'cos of this lady here!'

Mutinously, the other two moved forward, muttering curses under their breath. Opening doors and examining if there were any other soldiers around, they moved cautiously through the war-torn city.

'Excuse me…' Reis said to the leader, 'What exactly are See-D? I have heard of them from the commander of that stupid army,'

'That would be us, missy,' he said, proudly pointing a thumb to his chest, 'At least, the graduated ones anyway. The See-D are elite mercenaries, those that have passed the years of education in the Gardens—they aren't the flower ones, by the way,' seeing the perplexed look on Reis' face, 'Gardens are, well, schools of fighting. Those that are gifted or have special abilities are inducted into the rigorous training, where they are conditioned for combat. Today, we're doing a field test, the final test before we are finally called See-D's, the fully-fledged mercenaries,'

'Oh…I see,' Reis muttered, taking all the information in. Something about a military academy…something about a final field test, and gifted warriors. Sounds like the military academies of Ivalice…

'Oi! Seifer!' the other See-D shouted, his wild blonde hair showing from behind a burned-up car, 'Come here, there's some more Galbadian wimps here,'

'Excuse me while I have to go… Yes, Zell, I'm going to trash their sorry arses. Don't you worry, chicken-wuss wimp, you won't have to fight. I will deal with them,'

Reis ran along with them, towards a central fountain with a number of Galbadian soldiers surrounding it.

'CHARGE!' Seifer shouted, dashing towards the nearest soldier and stabbing him in the chest. Squall slashed a gunman's leg, before kicking him to the ground and severing his head, while Zell raised his knee in between the squad leader's legs, causing him to buckle over in pain. Kicking him repeatedly in the chest, Zell finally punched him in the back of the head, knocking the leader senseless.

'Well done. I couldn't expect any better of you, chicken-wuss, you took so long to kill that wimp,' Seifer sneered, causing Zell to flush a deep red, 'Be grateful that I didn't have to come and finish your fight,'

'We will have to wait here and secure the area until further orders come,' Squall said, settling down next to the fountain, 'And…whatever your name is, you've sustained an injury. Come to the fountain, I'll wash it and cure it,'

Reis did as she was told, walking gracefully over to the fountain, wiping her hand over the stinging wound as she did so. _Argh. I should have done a lot more to that man who did this to me…_

Squall splashed some water over Reis' slashed face, rubbing away the dried blood and washing away the still-flowing blood. There was a deep cut left behind just above her nose and running down to her right cheek, on that once-beautiful beyond measure face.

'There, finished,' Squall said, splashing water one last time onto the cut, 'I'll take you back to Balamb Garden. Doctor Kadowaki should be able to fix you up,'

'Thanks,' Reis said, smiling. She looked on Squall's face, when she noticed that he had a similar scar on his face.

'Hmm…Hmm…Oh my god, I can't take this boring job anymore!' Seifer shouted, holding his head with his hands, 'I wish there was something to do!'

'Calm down, Seifer, we might fail the field test if we leave our posts,' Zell said, flicking stones across the paved road.

'Who gives about the goddamn test! I'm going to hunt for some Galbadian ass!'

He raced off, leaving Squall and Zell behind.

'Who gives if that jerk dies,' Zell said bitterly, kicking a rock.

'Yeah…' Squall added, sheathing his gun-blade (for that was the only name that seemed appropriate for the strange half-gun, half-sword weapon that he used).

Hours passed without much activity…

'Look, there's Seifer. And what's that behind him?' Zell said, squinting for a better look.

'It looks like…a giant bug?'

Whatever was following him down the street was definitely not friendly. Crushing vehicles and smashing windows, the large bug demolished its way towards Zell, Squall and Reis, intent on killing Seifer.

'_Must kill See-D,' _a mechanical voice said from within the metal shell of the bug, turning towards the group, '_See-D detected, initiating attack sequence. Engines powering up for battle mode. 3…2…1… Engines heated, charging laser cannons…'_

'What are you waiting for, fools!' Seifer yelled, 'Run for your lives!'

'There is no way I will run against this thing,' Reis muttered, unsheathing her katana, 'I will destroy it. Trust me or not, do whatever you want,'

'_Laser cannons charged, preparing to fire…'_

'Die!' she grunted, slashing the metal blaster on top to shreds.

'_Error, laser cannons losing charge…retrying charge sequence…'_

There was no mercy by Reis. Eyes cold as ice, she lopped off each leg, cleaving apart wires and joints, ignoring the powerful strikes that it dealt against her body. With one final, devastating blow, she ruptured the main engine and its fuel tanks. Shaking, the metal construct collapsed, falling with a sickening _crack _on top of a dead Galbadian soldier.

'You've got to be kidding me…' Seifer said, open-mouthed, 'One woman, taking on a Galbadian prototype spider tank?'

'Are we dreaming?' Zell whispered to Squall.

'No, I don't think so,' Squall replied, after hitting himself over the head.

A company of Galbadian soldiers began to march down the road, preparing for an assault against the See-D, but were stopped in their tracks by the horrible sight of one of their spider tanks destroyed, chunks of it scattered all over the ground.

'COME ON YOU WEAKLINGS!' Reis roared at them, standing on top of the wreckage, 'PROVE YOUR STRENGTH!'

Yelling indistinct words, the Galbadian soldiers dropped their weapons and scattered. But this was not enough for Reis. Holding the two-handed blade in front of her, she gathered the force of ice from within her mind, focusing it upon the tip of her sword. Shrouded by a freezing aura, Reis dashed after the scattering troops, the blade leaving a frozen trail of ice behind in her wake. Slicing off each head neatly, she instilled fear into the remaining Galbadian army; the spirit of the legendary warrior Sephiroth had begun to infuse its skill into Reis' hands. After slashing the last running soldier down with the sharp edge, she observed the trail of destruction behind her; at least a hundred bodies lay mutilated and disfigured, some cruelly smashed against the walls surrounding the narrow road. There were no survivors of the Galbadian army; when the second and third group of See-D arrived, they only found the dead and a single woman standing framed in the destruction, her curved blade held over her shoulder, her blonde hair falling down in sheets to her knees.

Later that afternoon…on the cruise back to Balamb Garden.

'How many did you kill, Seifer?' a woman who was called 'Quistis' asked.

'Only a dozen or so,'

'That's strange of you,' Quistis said, raising an eyebrow, 'Normally you would slay all that you meet. Why is it this time you have killed so few?'

'I would have, if that woman over there next to Squall hadn't killed the entire Galbadian army,' he replied nonchalantly, pointing a thumb at the blood-covered woman holding an even bloodier katana, which could only be Reis.

'WHAT!' Quistis exclaimed, stepping backwards in shock, 'The ENTIRE Galbadian army? Killed by a single person? You must be joking,'

'He's not joking, Instructor,' the leaders of the second and third squads shouted back over the roar of the ship's engines as it jumped over a sand bar, 'We found that woman with countless corpses strewn all over the streets of Dollet,'

'Well…I guess this would be a special exception…I must see Headmaster Cid when we arrive back. Radio a message back to Balamb, Instructor Quistis requesting a meeting with Headmaster Cid,'

**A/N**

2Sidez: FYI there's been about 700 hits on this story.

There's been too much blood and gore for this story to remain in T, as it violates the rating guide. This is permanently being moved to M.


	18. Passing the Art of War

'There, good as new,' Doctor Kadowaki said, a short, stubby little man with kind-looking dark eyes.

'Thank you,' Reis said, the scar above her nose still present but smaller. It would take a while to get rid of it, even with the dragon blood running in her veins.

'I suggest you find Quistis and see what she wants. She's been talking about you for awhile to Headmaster Cid,'

'Alright, doctor,'

'Always a pleasure. Keep out of trouble for awhile, it will heal,'

Reis walked out of the pearly-white medical chamber, ignoring the gaze of the stunned male See-D's as she passed by. _Sometimes being perceived as beautiful can be irritating..._

Balamb Garden was an enormous circular building, with a pillar-like elevator in the centre, surrounded by mini-fountains and a water feature. In fact, it was virtually a building built on stilts, above a flat circular water pool. Students walked by carrying books on fighting tactics, while others talked about combat or played cards on the large wooden benches. It really resembled lunch break in an Ivalician military academy, from what she heard from Ramza during their time together.

'_Reis Dular, guest from unknown location, please report to Floor 3 immediately. Reis Dular, guest from unknown location, please report to Floor 3 immediately. Headmaster Cid wishes to see you,' _the announcement speakers blared out from the heights of the building, echoing in every little room and hallway.

'Great. What now,' she muttered to herself, climbing up the broad tiled steps to the elevator. Hitting the number '3' on the elevator control panel, she hummed to herself while waiting for the black object to descend to her.

'Hi, Miss Annihilator,' the leader of Squad 3 said to her, giggling, 'I wonder what's Cid going to tell you, it's been ages since he said something like that,'

'I wonder myself,' Reis replied sarcastically.

'Oh, you're tactless. He's probably going to invite you to something,'

'Really?'

'I don't really know,' she laughed, 'See you around, Miss Annihilator,'

_Sometimes it's strange to talk to people like that…at times it's annoying, and at times it's acceptable. This time it was annoying._

The elevator arrived with a soft _ding _and the doors slid apart. Stepping into the yellow-lighted interior of the black elevator, she pushed in the number '3' on the elevator interior controls. Up it went, higher and higher, until she arrived in a red-carpeted foyer lined with miniature palm trees.

'The headmaster is waiting inside,' the voice of Quistis said from the side of the elevator, 'Please go in,'

Uncertain of what to expect, Reis pushed open the double doors to Cid's office. Inside was a man, of average height and wearing one-inch glasses, pacing around on the stone floor of his office. On his red pullover was the Balamb Garden crest, small but visible.

'Ah, you must be Reis. Come, have a seat,' he said, pushing a plump cushioned seat towards her.

'Thank you. Now, what were you going to see me about?' Reis asked, sitting down on the squishy seat.

'I have heard of your stunning performance through the comments of all the squads present on operation Dollet. I am honored to have such a fine swordswoman assisting our mercenaries. If it were possible, would you care to join this Garden? It would be a pleasure to have such a talented person working alongside the others,'

'It would be a pleasure to work along, sir. What exactly am I intended to be employed in?'

'Hmm…good question…it is nice to have you out on the front lines of missions, where you may be the key to deciding the success or failure of a mission, while it is also a good idea to pass on your skill to some of the students. Please decide for yourself,'

'If that is the case, I will teach the students,'

'Splendid. Now, your first task is…(Cid checks the timetable on the wall)…you will have to train some students in the training centre. That is in the hallway northeast of the central elevator on the ground floor,'

'I will take my leave. Be assured that those students will be trained up to scratch,'

Reis strode out of the room, joining Quistis in the elevator. She pushed the button labeled 'GF' on the control panel, and the elevator slid shut and began to hum its way down the pillar.

'So, what did he ask you to do?' Quistis queried, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

'He asked me to be a…well, instructor. I'm supposed to be teaching the students at the training centre now,'

'Aren't you lucky! I had to work my hours off trying to achieve instructor status. And even now I'm a lesser instructor,'

'How long have you been working for Cid, just out of curiosity?'

'Oh, not long. Only five years as a fully-fledged See-D'

The elevator _dinged _again and the doors slid open. Waving each other goodbye, Reis began to walk her way towards the training centre.

The students in the training centre stared at her as she walked into the balmy jungle environment. _Where's Quistis, _they wondered.

'Good afternoon, students. I am a new instructor, Reis Dular,' Reis announced, stroking the ivory handle of her katana, 'I will be teaching you a refined form of sword skill—much different to those that you will have been taught by previous instructors,'

The students whispered among themselves, grasping their sword handles tightly.

'Firstly, I would like to demonstrate-'

'Excuse me, miss?' a rowdy-looking person shouted from the back of the crowd, 'What exactly do you mean by 'refined sword skill'?'

'I will explain it to you now. Can I have ten volunteers?'

Slowly ten hands rose up in the air, their owners gazing around uncertainly.

'Good. Draw your swords. Don't worry, I won't really hurt you,' she said, after seeing the fearful looks on their faces. Apparently the rumor of her slaying the entire platoon of Galbadian soldiers had raced through the school like a wildfire.

'Attack me,' She said, drawing out her katana as quick as lightning, holding it in a defensive position at shoulder level.

Three of them attempted a wild swing, which she dodged. Striking their swords easily out of their hands, she twirled around, back into her defensive position. The seven remaining students circled her in a regular attack pattern, one that she knew would be easy to defend from. Jumping as soon as they lunged forward, she landed neatly on top of their crossed and now tangled swords, causing them all to collapse as she stomped squarely in the centre. One managed to draw his out, and slashed at Reis in a desperate bid to prove that the instructor was wrong. A rasp of metal against flesh, a spray of blood and a quiet cry of pain. Reis struck the blade from the horrified student's hands, and quickly wiped the blood on her shoulder, assessing the damage. _It's not bad, it will heal in a day or so…_

'Errh…Miss, are you alright?' a student asked, dumbstruck for a moment.

'It's quite alright, I've had worse,' Reis replied, squeezing the wound in an attempt to stem the blood loss.

The students began to take steps backward as a shadow loomed over Reis. Not noticing this, she wondered why they were backing away from her.

'Miss Reis…look behind you…' the students said, cowering against the fence.

She turned around, after a large glob of liquid dripped onto her shoulder, soaking her silk dress in a watery fluid. A large, red and unfriendly reptile stood over her, its tiny hands dangling strangely from its overlarge body, the mouth bristling with razor-sharp teeth.

'What about it?' she yelled back to the students.

The reptile roared, and began to lower its head ready to bite off Reis' head, just as she threw a silver dagger straight into the beast's cranium. Reeling over, the creature fell dead in an instant, the point of the dagger having gone through the flesh and bone of its head, piercing its brain.

'No big deal. Now, let's get back to the lesson, shall we?' Reis continued on, completely calm and unaffected by the beast.

'The essence of a powerful attack…who thinks they can tell me?'

All the students put their hands up.

'Alright, let's have a crack at it. You, what's your answer?' Reis said, pointing at a big, burly student.

'Muscles,' he growled, 'You can't take anything down without muscles,'

'True, but not quite true in some cases. Magi can use their minds to kill. What's your response, hm?' she said, pointing at a skinny little girl in the corner.

'Speed and agility,' she piped up, voice shrill and piercing.

'Correct, but not quite so. You cannot kill with only speed and agility. Sure, you may be able to run circles around your opponent all day, but you can't take them down. Next! You there, what's yours?'

'A good weapon,'

'That would help a lot, but what good is a weapon if you cannot wield it properly? Take me for an instance. I cannot use, say, a pair of ball-and-chains. What good would that be to me if I hit myself in the process? The answer that we are looking for here, is wrath. Use your anger to your advantage. Concentrate on the desire to destroy your opponent, and your will to destroy will quickly turn into a destructive capacity comparable to the strongest muscle or the clearest mind,' Reis explained, waving the blade absent-mindedly, clipping off a few leaves off a nearby thicket.

'Secondly, determination. Think that you will live. That you will survive. That you would come out victorious. Your determination to survive will become stamina when it is strong enough. Enough talk for now. Let us practice what we have discussed here today on the monsters of the training centre,'

The group hacked and slashed their way in turn, some using magic to obliterate every last trace of their opponent in unforeseen power, some even amazed and stunned by the intensity of their own attacks when Reis' techniques were applied. By the end of the day, plant-sap-stained, blood-covered and mud-coated, the group moved back out of the training centre, exhausted.

'Gee, that was a very effective lesson, Reis—oh, I should call you instructor,' the skinny girl said to her in the showers, smiling at her through the steam. She had blasted a T-Rexaur's head to shreds of flaming scrap with a single Fira, aimed in between the eyes.

'It's all your own achievement,' Reis replied, rubbing some disinfectant on her wound, biting a stick in the process, 'It's not my effort,'

'Still, we all thank you for teaching us those methods. They're sure to be effective in our See-D test,'

That evening, during the dinner hour…

'So, how was your first day teaching, Reis? Oh…wounded already?' Quistis asked, apparently indifferent to seeing the wound on her shoulder.

'Oh, it was alright, I killed a T-Rexaur with single dagger and one of my students blasted another one's head with a Fira. Quite satisfying, to be frank,' Reis replied, in between mouthfuls of mashed potato.

'Ah, I see. I could never get my students to do that, they all run away at the sight of one. Childish wimps, really,'

'Who're you calling childish wimps, Quisty?' Seifer sneered, thumping Quistis on the shoulder and walking off again, laughing madly.

'He's like that ever since he failed the See-D test…again…' Quistis muttered, rubbing her throbbing shoulder.

'He FAILED it…and again? How?'

'Oh, he disobeyed orders, as usual…'

'Right…Well, I'm going to see where I'll be staying for the night. Farewell,'

Reis walked away from the noisy cafeteria tables, placing her empty food tray on the clean-up table. Striding off to the dorms, she noticed that Squall and Zell were wearing flashy new uniforms. Smiling as she waved them a greeting, she felt for once…a sort of motherly feeling…a feeling of protectiveness, towards her students. Shrugging off this new thought, she checked the table on the wall.

'Room 29-C1-Block 2. Right. Oh well, better find it and sleep,' she whispered to herself, running a long, slender finger along the names and rooms list.


	19. A Welcome Break

'Attention all students and staff,' the announcer spoke, his voice echoing around the numerous halls of Balamb in its ordinary fashion, 'Tonight will be the grand ball to celebrate the graduations of the new See-D. All lessons today would be cancelled and students are advised to pick dress uniforms. That is all for today. Dismissed,'

'Damn. I was going to take you all for a trip down into the training centre for battle meditation practice,' Reis muttered, thrusting a fist into her other open palm. The other students groaned, and then put away their weapons, walking away dejectedly. They had expected another interesting and useful lesson with that new instructor, Reis. In the matter of a week, she had become the most popular and widely-anticipated instructor, mainly due to her unorthodox training methods and their efficiency.

'Miss Dular, can you please teach us anyway?' a student asked, turning his head around.

'If you wish, but please, call me Reis. Don't call me a miss,' Reis replied, smiling.

It was this kind of…sister or brotherhood that made Reis even more popular among the students. Where they had to call the other instructors formally, Reis permitted them to call her by her first name. The students began to grow on her, kind of interesting and unique…each of them, from the smallest little magic-based trainee to the biggest, brawniest big-weapon-brandishing See-D. Nevertheless, it was a job, and they had to learn…even if it meant to be a sort of mother teaching a child the basics of living; a living of war and violence, the sort of life that she was used to.

All the students had now gathered around her again, eyes looking expectantly into her beautiful face. The scar had vanished from above her nose, leaving it spotless and unblemished. She sighed, and levitated slowly above the ground, eyes closed and hands together in a sort of meditative stance.

'The basics of battle meditation…' she began, breathing slow and easy, 'It is a wonderful art to practice…that cool, calm aura…the exact thing required to produce maximal results in a battle. Try this. I need two volunteers,'

Immediately all the hands sprung up, some of the girls jumping up and down to try and get her attention. Picking two people at random, she told them to face different directions.

'Which of them would be more efficient, if I casted Berserk on one and told the other to calm down, and then ask each to fight me in turn?'

'The one with Berserk,' a boy said, waving a gun-blade in the air, 'He's got added strength,'

'True, but remember. Added strength does not necessarily mean that they are more efficient,'

'The one that's calm,' a little girl piped up, barely visible in the crowd.

'Precisely. Let's see for ourselves, shall we?'

Reis placed her hand on one of the volunteers' heads, while instructing the other to focus on a single point and think of nothing. The students gasped as the volunteer with her hand on his head glowed red, veins popping out from his temple, breathing loud and irregular, clearly Berserked, and a well-done job at it.

'En garde!' she shouted at the Berserked volunteer, waving her katana blade at his long sword. Rushing forward with a snarl, the Berserked volunteer was easily sidestepped by Reis, receiving a sharp blow to the back of his neck by Reis' hand. Collapsing, the student was immediately cured by Reis, a few cures and a remedy heading his way.

'You, try now,' Reis said, beckoning at the calmed-down student.

Moving slowly, the student appeared to be easy prey at first-not until Reis had thrown a lunging stab at her though. Parrying it easily with her steel rod, she struck Reis' weapon arm with her fist, throwing it forward like a piston. The katana fell on the linoleum floor with a clatter, Reis' arm bruised where the girl had struck it.

'Very good. Now, class. Do you understand, what it means when I say that battle meditation is effective? You have seen the proof of calm's superiority here, right in front of your eyes,' she said to the open-mouthed group, who had previously thought that their teacher was invulnerable. Perhaps she was being easy on her opponent, they didn't know. Picking up her katana, Reis dismissed the class, congratulating the girl who had disarmed her. Running off with an embarrassed blush, the girl waved a goodbye, as Reis waved back, smiling.

'Well, very nice demonstration,' Quistis' voice spoke from behind her, causing Reis to jump in shock.

'Thank you,' she replied, running a hand in her long blonde sheets, 'So, what are you going to wear for tonight's event?'

'Oh…that…well, I haven't…decided…on…that's right, my dress,'

'So you haven't prepared at all for the ball. Well, no need to hide it from me, I haven't either. See you later tonight in the hall!'

Reis filed through her clothes cabinet. The Garden had kindly donated her several sets of clothes…but none quite right for the occasion. One, her very own white silk dress, had been worn and dirtied through use in classes, while the others were too work-related-like to be used in a party.

'No, this won't do…I'll have to ask for some material,' she muttered to herself, sliding the closet shut.

'Oh, Selphie,' Reis called, to the girl opposite her dorm room, 'Do you, by any chance, happen to have some spare silk floating around in your dorm somewhere?'

'Sure, Miss,' Selphie replied, 'I just finished making a dress, what do you think?'

It was rather shabby…bits of red silk still were hanging in tatters over the join between the red and the white, while the dress itself was overlarge for Selphie at the neck, though rather tight at the hips. _This doesn't show…skill…? _She thought to herself.

'How much material do you have left? I may make one for you too, while I'm at it,'

Selphie blushed, and quickly hid her shabby work as footsteps approached. Drawing out several large sheets of silk, linen and cotton cloth, she lugged them all onto Reis' bed, with a box of needles and thread balancing precariously on top of the wobbling pile.

'Stand still,' Reis whispered into Selphie's ear, as she began to put measuring strings on different aspects of the girl's form, as she did before in Ivalice when she made a shirt for Beowulf. Hoping that it would be similar for a dress, she bit her tongue gently while measuring the distance between Selphie's neck and her hips.

It was more difficult than expected. The job took hour upon hour, as the two ignored their hunger and thirst when the lunch bell rang, sewing away seams and cutting away loose strands of this and that. More than once Reis pricked herself on the thumb as she tried pushing a needle through several layers of cloth, uttering soft curses each time she did, though not loud enough for Selphie in the other corner of the small room to hear.

'There, finished,' she gasped, wiping her sweating forehead, holding up a fine, white silk dress for Selphie to admire. It was rather tight-fitting, although permitting free movement, the sleeve long and elegantly laced at the cuff. There were pleats on the lower half of the dress—not small and few like those on miniskirts, but diaphanous, huge, numerous pleats, edging their way all around the skirt's edge.

'What do you think?' Reis cried out happily, slipping on her one. Simple, yet elegant. That was always her style. This time it proved true as well; a red silk dress, split halfway up near the thighs, the back longer than the front and nearly dragging on the floor. It was nearly sheath-like; her contours were clearly outlined for all to see on the top, the sleeves short and elegant, with a little bit of gold lace at the hem.

'Absolutely stunning!' Selphie screamed, causing Reis to fall over onto her bed, now littered with scraps of cloth and bits of thread, 'Oh, you're so going to be the attention of the party. Let me suggest something though, wear some red high-heeled shoes with it, you'll look even better. Not that you need extra height,' Selphie commented, looking up at the tall, willowy woman, 'You're tall enough as you are, but those shoes would help,'

'Alright, but you will help me clean up this mess in exchange for that dress,'

An hour later, the two were in the showers, having packed their mess into an overflowing bin. Selphie commented on the strange fact that Reis' hair—no matter how wet—did not change its texture. Where most people would have their hair curled up or matted by the invasion of water, Reis' hair stayed as smooth, soft and wavy as it usually was—if only sopping wet. Tying it back into a knee-length ponytail, with a lesser sheet of blonde covering her shoulders, Reis sprayed on a delicate perfume onto herself, before helping Selphie tie her hair into a tight, elegant bun. They were all set for the big thing now…the ball.

All the boys turned their heads towards Reis and Selphie as they walked into the room, breathless, stunned. The girls looked on enviously, having to tap their partners on the shoulder to regain their attention, if only somewhat more reproachful as their female counterparts berated them soundly.

'So, who are you going to be dancing with?' Selphie asked Reis, holding a boy's hand in one of hers.

'Umm…I haven't quite decided yet,' Reis said, stifling a shamed giggle.

'Typical you, always spontaneous. Well, there would be a lot of boys out there waiting for you,' she whispered to Reis, pointing at a group of boys that were all goggling at her.

'Thanks for that,' Reis replied sarcastically, blushing vermillion, 'I think I'll go with him,'

She pointed at Zell. Partnerless and friendless, he stirred a great wave of sympathy from within her soul. Treading gracefully on the marble steps, she offered a slender hand to Zell, shocked and amazed at the same time. He thought he had no girls…but to receive the fairest of them? WOW! THIS WAS HIS LUCKY DAY!

'Come on, show me what you've got on the dance floor,' Reis muttered in his ear, stroking his arm.

'I-Instructor Reis? The slayer of the Galbadian platoon? Could she really dance?' he said to himself, oblivious to the fact that Reis was right next to him at that precise moment. Regaining his manners, he replied politely, 'Yes,'

'Dance away then,' she said fiercely to him, as the band began to play a slow tune.

Waltzing slowly, Reis began to show her dancing prowess. Stepping lightly here and there, with the occasional rapid twirl to the incredulous stares of the onlookers, and also that of Zell, she began to literally lead Zell in all of the steps, quite the opposite of what it is normally. Moving faster as the band struck a faster note, Reis began to take Zell's breath away as she danced like the wind, her steps like feathers on a gentle breeze, soundless, weightless. Somersaulting over Zell's head in the climax of the dance, amid the cheering of the watching students, she began to slow down, seeing as Zell was virtually exhausted at the rapid pace of her dance. Laying a hand on his side, she led Zell's hand onto her shoulder, taking light and easy steps in waltzing rhythm once more, allowing him to regain his breath.

'Nice…but not quite perfect. I couldn't say that my dance was perfect either, to tell the truth,' Reis said, fresh as though she had not danced at all.

'T…Thanks for the praise, instructor,' Zell muttered softly, bending over against the side pillar, sweating furiously and panting like a dog, 'Wow…I'm amazed you're not even sweating,'

'Quite light for me. Anyway, where's Squall and the others? Seifer? Quistis?'

'Shh…you'll disturb those two,' Quistis giggled in her ear, 'Come, have a seat. Look at those two lovebirds,'

There was Squall in the centre of the dance floor. Accompanied by a woman in a black top and blue dress that she did not recognise, they were dancing the most peculiar quickstep ever—Squall was treading rather heavily and clumsily on the marble, while his dance partner dodged his rather ungainly steps with the nimblest of movements.

Suppressing giggles and laughter, the two looked on to the strange pair, covering their mouths with their hands as they doubled over when Squall toppled over during his attempt to twirl his partner on the spot. At least Zell did not do that.

'Ok, I've had enough fun for tonight,' she told Quistis, standing up, 'I'm going to bed,'

'Good night, Reis,' Quistis said, waving as the graceful woman walked away. _She's very young, I think…but who knows?_


	20. Power through Suffering

**A/N I released a new Fan-Art in the forums. Check it out.**

'Beowulf…please…don't go,' Reis mumbled in her sleep, tossing and turning uneasily, 'Please…don't go…I need you to be with me…Beowulf!'

She sat up, bolt upright, sweating furiously. Wiping her sweat-drenched face with the sleeve of her nightgown, she began to sob into her open hands. It has been quite a long time since she had communicated with Beowulf at Mustadio's workshop…and an even longer time since his death and burial. The dream…more like a half-nightmare…brought grief back into the forefront of her mind. His death meant…her loneliness, her pain, her sadness. Everything.

Standing up, she opened her dormitory door silently, knowing that it was very late in the night—even in the morning, for all she knew. Tiptoeing to the nearest garden, she sat down on one of the wooden benches.

Staring at the sky, she began to remember everything once more…Beowulf proposing to her…the day that Beowulf saved her life as a girl…the fateful evening when she took the full blast of the polymorph curse that turned her into a dragon for at least twelve long, dreary years…all the pains and joys of her life.

It was all too much. She missed Beowulf greatly, wishing that if she could even see him for a single, sixty-second minute, she would give her soul in exchange. It was just too painful to be separated from the one you love, the one that you were to be married to, to be paired together for life or death.

'Why can't he still survive?' she cried in her hands, tears streaming down her arm, 'Why did he have to die?'

'Reis…' the voice of Quistis said from the garden wall, soft and kind unlike her usual try-to-be-hard self, 'What is this that I am hearing?'

'Oh…it's nothing…' Reis said, wiping her still-leaking tears with the white sleeve of her linen nightgown.

'You may be able to trick others, but not me,' Quistis spoke, suddenly stern, hard, 'What is it that is bothering you?'

'If you would like to know…oh…it's just too much for me to say again, let alone to another person,'

'Reis. I need to know. It might be important for us to know so that we can help you,' Quistis whispered into her ear, stroking the long blonde sheets.

'Very well…It's just the death of my fiancé several months ago…We were intended to be wedded only three days after his death. Now he's gone, and I'm alone…life just isn't fair. Why can't I be with somebody? Why can't I have somebody to talk to? To be with for the rest of my life? My family…my friends…my blood relatives…all gone! By the cruel hand of fate...'

She broke down into more hysteric sobbing, Quistis trying frantically to stop the tears in every way she could think of.

'Calm down, Reis. It's not only you that's lost loved ones. Think of those orphans. They have never learned the love of a family, never exactly learned the caring of siblings or relatives. You were lucky enough to once have those things. There are others in the world that haven't had those rights at all,'

'Y-You're right. I'm more fortunate than some…' Reis sobbed, still crying.

'Listen! What have you taught in training? To calm down! And do you practice it? No! So start doing it now and do us all a favor. Show us that you can use techniques that you have made yourself!' Quistis spoke loudly, stern and formidable.

'I'm trying, Quistis,' Reis said, her voice returning to its normal pitch.

'Good,' she sighed, relieved that it was over, 'Now, go back to bed. There is, after all, a night curfew. Do try not to get caught out of your dorm in the middle of the night, especially you, being an instructor. Should Cid have caught you, you might have been thrown out. An instructor is to show other students how to behave in the Garden,'

Walking back through the metal door of the dorm room, Reis lay down in the soft warm bed. She still made soft sniffles every now and then—it was impossible to get rid of that image, the ultimate sacrifice that Beowulf made to allow her survival. _I must go on. There is nothing left for me in this world…only if I manage to create some sort of link with the world of the dead will I make a difference…Wars will still rage on, time will still flow. Even if I died nothing would matter. If I lived it would not matter. Either way, I must attempt to find a way into the land of the dead…_

Next morning…

'Miss, what happened to you?' A student asked Reis, supporting her by the arm as she nearly collapsed of tiredness for the twentieth time for that day.

'I…I…have some unfinished matters to resolve…' she replied, eyes bloodshot and wounds liberally spread over her body.

'Is it something that we can assist with?' the students chorused, expectant.

'Unfortunately, no. It is something that I will deal with. Something that I alone must deal with. The lesson for today is over, students. Dismissed,'

She stood there in the balmy heat of the training centre jungle, watching the students go. Finally, as the last one left, she began her work.

_First…I must prepare my combat skills once again…_

Five Grats surrounded her in a tight ring, waving their long green tentacles in the air menacingly. Reis had specially requested a second katana from Quistis; it had been provided for her. Drawing both of them out of their sheaths in time, she twirled them between her fingers, brandishing them at the Grats menacingly.

'Come on, you fools,' she growled at them menacingly, 'Turn to stone! Break!'

A pillar of rock enveloped the nearest Grat, petrifying it in a tight casing of hard stone. The others backed away slightly, producing odd gargling sounds from their misshapen mouths.

'One cannot exist without a soul! Death!' she cried, creating a wave of negative energy and sending it at lightning speed at the Grat behind her. It stopped instantaneously, all movement ceased, before crashing down in a cloud of dust, lifeless, unmarked.

'Matter, release your energy! Flare!' Reis yelled, stabbing both blades downwards into the yellow earth below. A searing heat spread over her, spreading and blasting all within twenty feet of her to ash. Panting, Reis sat down on the charred remains of a Grat, sheathing her blades.

'_Well done, Reis,' _a familiar voice called out to her from a distance away, though wherever she looked she could not find the person who said it.

'Beowulf?' she whispered to herself, the grim expression on her face changing to joy, 'Is that you?'

'_Yes, it is, love. I'm speaking to you, courtesy of Mustadio's machine,'_

'I missed you,' Reis muttered, staring at the ceiling, 'I missed you so much,'

'_Me too. I saw an image of you in my mind. You've learned a lot about the arts of the Temple Knight in a short time,'_

'I have?' Reis said, taken aback at this. When did she learn the proper arts? 'When did I learn it?'

'_You used the arts without knowing that it is the Temple Knights' specialty? That Break spell? Wow…you're as intelligent as ever, learning things without explanations. I had to learn that over several years,'_

'I didn't…well, attempt to learn it on purpose. I just felt that I could do it,'

'_All the same, very well executed. And the Death spell and the Flare…I can't beat that, you've set the record for us now, Reis,'_

'Thanks,'

'_Try not to worry yourself too much about—ARGH!'_

A cracking noise filled the air, one which nobody else could hear. Whips…flails…ropes, all weapons of torture that Reis could think of. That dreaded sound. She clenched her fist as she listened to the tormenting voices of the demons in the land of the dead, while they whipped her beloved Beowulf.

'_I'm…fine…don't worry…about…me…'_

Then there was no more. _DAMN! Down here I'm no use; up somewhere Beowulf's suffering! I must hurry!_

Walking quickly towards the exit, she was met by a group of three red reptiles blocking the entrance, which could be nothing else but T-Rexaurs.

'I've got no mercy for you today, bastards,' she muttered, her blue eyes turning into chips of ice as she sliced off limbs and chunks of flesh. Rendering the three dinosaurs to large chunks of meat, Reis walked off towards the showers, coated in blood and scraps of gut. People looked on as the angered instructor moved quickly through the academy, storming through doorways as though something terrible had happened.

'What's wrong with you today, Reis?' one of the students from her class asked her, as Reis began to take off her filthy clothes and put on fresh new robes, 'You look as though you've over-killed something,'

'I guess I overreacted to three T-Rexaurs,' she chuckled, tying her two katanas onto her back, 'I diced them too harshly, they sprayed out copious amounts of blood. Who says that women can't fight?'

The student giggled, and resumed her scrubbing of the dirt-matted shower floors.

Reis visited the library, hoping to find a clue on the land of the dead, just as Quistis walked into the book room.

'Have you heard? Zell, Squall and Selphie are on their first mission!' Quistis exclaimed, rubbing her hands together, 'I wished I could go watch after them…but then, Cid gave me orders to look after you for the rest of this week. He thinks you're working too hard,'

'Oh, it's alright for me,'

'So, what're you looking for in the library?'

'A book on the Land of the Dead,'

A stunned silence followed these words. All the boys in the corner stopped speaking, while the librarian quit her scanning of the books for a few seconds. Quistis bent low into Reis' ear and whispered, 'Why are you looking for that dreadful book! It gives me nightmares just by reading its first few chapters! And I'm used to blood!'

'Listen. I need to perform an important task in the land of the dead. I will accomplish it, even if it means my life…for then, the people that I love and care for may be revived. That is why I must find that book,'

'Very well,' the librarian called out, 'Young Miss Dular, I hope you find good use for this book. I have forbidden anyone to read it, but for this one occasion, I will allow you to borrow it,'

'Thank you, madam librarian,'

'No need for such formalities, we're all staff here,'

'All the same, thank you,'

Reis flipped through the yellowing parchment pages, ignoring the pungent reek of rotting flesh and blood from within the depths of the book. Hellish scenes dominated the edge borders, while images of torture filled some. Now she could understand why Quistis could not stand reading this book. It was the very embodiment of the sufferings of people, the scent of death accentuating the grim reality of life's end. It was simply…a horrid book to read, but otherwise useful. In the centre was a complete map of the Universe of the Dead; four corners linked at the centre, in the shape of a cross. Five points were labeled on the map; but as the writing had been washed away at some time, it was impossible to decipher what they had read before.

'Ugh…one horrible book,' Reis gasped, pulling her nose away from the stinking pages and tossing the ancient book to one side of her room. The stench of the book she had ignored for the last hour, the parchment's strange texture cutting into her skin, now exposing red, raw flesh beneath the soft creamy skin. Now holding her mangled hand, Reis began to moan in pain as she began to feel the full reality of the damage done to her by the book. It was now quite clear to her why people hated to read that book…it was a book that induced death in its own way; slow, but potent. Walking as quickly as she could towards the infirmary, Reis cradled her skinned hand; students looked on, horrified to find their favourite instructor in such condition.

'What on earth have you been doing, young Reis? How did you get these wounds?' Doctor Kadowaki asked her, examining the slightly-bleeding wounds while Reis whimpered in pain as he pressed on her wrist in an attempt to cut off the bleeding.

'Please…go softer…' she moaned, biting down on a wooden stick when he dabbed disinfectant onto the open flesh. Washing her hands in lukewarm water, he extracted a roll of bandages from a cabinet with his free hand. Wrapping them as carefully as possible (the wounds were still as bad as ever), the doctor kept his tongue between his teeth, hoping to not induce more pain onto the already-agonised woman.

'There…done,' he said, tying a knot onto the bandage wrapping on her hand, 'Try to keep it out of water. Whatever it was that caused this sort of damage, don't ever go near it again. You're lucky not to have the rest of your hand eaten away by the poison that I found on your hand—even in traces, it still ate away your living skin and flesh. What were you doing, anyway?'

'I was…umm…I was…' Reis stuttered, 'I was reading the Book of the Dead on how to get to the Land of the Dead,'

'Why did you read that book? It's common knowledge not to read it. Somehow you managed to stave off the deadly poison on the map page. People always avoid that one, as two dozen other students have died over the past thirty years trying to read that page. You're very lucky to be alive,'

_It's all because of my dragon blood…I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for that side of my bloodline…I must be thankful…_

'Have a rest for the remainder of the day. Don't overstrain yourself. I will have someone deliver your meals and needs later this day to your room. Have a nice day,'

Reis walked back towards the dorms, her hands wrapped in thick, pink-tinged bandages. The blood was beginning to filter through again. The surrounding students whispered among themselves, some of the girls uttering soft gasps of pity as they saw Reis' hand.

Finally arriving at the dormitories after the walk of shame, Reis fell back onto the soft pillow of her bed. Sinking into a comfortable sleep, she began to drift off into the darkness…


	21. Weakness through Mercy

'Reis! Wake up! We got a job on our hands!' Quistis yelled at her, thrusting her room's door wide open, a coiled whip in her hands, 'Seifer has escaped detention room 1-A! We must capture him and bring him back!'

'Alright, alright, I'm awake, what's going on?' Reis yawned, rubbing her eyes and reaching out for her two katanas.

'I've told you already. Just get up and I'll tell you what to do,'

Reis jumped up out of her bed, buckling on the two katana sheaths and slipping their sharp blades in. She dashed out of her room, following Quistis.

'Seifer's escaped detention,' Quistis said, running towards the elevator, 'I will make sure that nobody uses the elevator. You guard the carpark, make sure that he does not try to steal a car to escape,'

'Is there anybody else to watch out for?' Reis asked, now fully awake and thinking.

'Fujin and Raijin, his two followers. They're…as different as different can be. Raijin is noisy and huge, Fujin is silent and small. As you can guess-'

'Raijin uses physical attacks and Fujin uses magic. They're following Seifer. Correct?' Reis said, tapping her fingers on a katana hilt.

'Yes, that's correct,' Quistis said, rather annoyed that Reis cut in the middle of her speech, 'Get going now. They might be anywhere,'

Reis sneaked along the corridors of the academy, treading silently and quickly like the wind on a grass plain. Hiding in the shadows cast by the dawn sun, she edged her way to the carpark. _Silence and stealth; the best strategy to find a hidden opponent._

A pair of See-D's were running towards the quadrangle, one holding a rifle and the other a saber. They were talking furiously to each other, giving orders which neither followed and pointing in directions which were never visited. _Useless team…they're better off under a commander…_

'So, this is where I'm supposed to stay,' Reis muttered to herself, unsheathing her two katanas. _This would be easy…it's only a narrow corridor…_

A pair of hard, heavy footsteps sounded across the main circular walkway of the Garden. Reis peered over the high barrier wall, to check on who it was.

'Seifer!' she yelled out to the vast academy, 'Seifer is here!'

'Be quiet, you whore,' Seifer shouted at Reis, his gunblade raised over his head. There was blood dripping off the entire length of it.

'Seifer…what did you just call me?' Reis said, indignant.

'I SAID YOU WERE A WHORE! Now get out of my way before your pretty face gets slashed in two,'

'Who do you think you are, Seifer? I'm an instructor, and you, an incompetent student,'

'I do not care about identities,' he whispered, eyes gleaming in malice, 'I have been knighted by the true queen of this world. Now, get out of my way or face the consequences,'

'I think it's you that should face the consequences, Seifer. Now get back into your detention block and stay quiet,'

Suddenly, without warning, Seifer rushed at Reis, catching her by surprise. His gunblade bit down onto Reis' soft white skin over her thighs, the trigger pulled a split second before and adding a searing bullet wound to the slash. Retaliating fiercely, Reis struck the gunblade, causing Seifer to step back, before smashing his leg with the blunt end of the other katana.

'I don't want to injure you, Seifer, dirty bastard as you are,' she panted, clutching at the wound on her leg with her left hand, the blood seeping down her leg.

Snarling, Seifer made another attempt to kill Reis, easily parried by the more experienced woman. Striking Seifer's arm, Reis caused him to drop the gunblade.

'I've told you already, Seifer, I don't want to injure you. Now leave the gunblade there and move to the detention block,' she said, her blue eyes staring mercilessly into his dark grey ones.

Laughing insanely, Seifer snatched up the gunblade again, this time thrusting the tip into Reis' shoulder. She screamed in agony; the heat of the gun's blast seared her flesh as the tip drove into her, twisting in one direction to inflict the most injury. In an instantaneous reflex, Reis severed Seifer's weapon hand using her other katana, letting the young man scream in pain as much as she did. Bleeding copiously, Reis began to stagger. The crimson fluid flowed steadily down her white linen dress, staining it a dark red.

'I've warned you, Seifer,' she growled, pointing the katana's tip at his jugular vein, 'I've warned you,'

Suddenly a powerful shock raced through Reis' body. Screaming in pain again, she collapsed to the ground, her entire body smarting due to the magnitude of the electric attack. A black-robed person stepped over her face, hoisting Seifer up and heaving him to the carpark. _No…I cannot fail my duty…I don't want this to happen…I will not die…I won't let him escape…_

Another blast of magic from the unknown person, and Reis knew no more. All that she could remember…was heat that burned her to the core, singing her clothes and roasting her flesh and skin. Confused screaming…yells of panic…cries for assistance…before she blacked out entirely.


	22. Convalescence

_Am I dead…?_

_No…I can't be dead…_

_I still feel…and I still smell…and I still hear…_

_But why can't I move? Why don't I have the strength to move?_

_Why don't I have that willpower to ignore the pain and keep going with my job?_

_Argh, it's all my fault for letting Seifer get away…I should have attacked him when I had the chance…_

'Shh, she's waking up,' a soft voice said next to Reis.

_Ha, they haven't realised that yet?_

'I'm amazed she's still alive…I can't believe it…that's the first time an instructor had been this dangerously wounded by a student. Golly, I think Seifer's in for a massive ass-whooping when he's captured,' a rough voice said, followed by a loud smack.

_I wonder where he's gone…I want my revenge…I want to get out of this bed and start working like usual…Why can't I move myself? It's just not fair…_

'She's sustained third degree burns to half her skin surface area. Whoever pulled that off must be very magically-powerful,' she heard Dr. Kadowaki say.

_No way…I would've died before then…_

'Would you students please leave? I know you're worried, but she needs rest,'

_It's alright, Dr. Kadowaki…Oh, damn it, I can't speak. My throat is dry and I can't move a single muscle._

Reis could hear mutinous muttering as the footsteps died away and the infirmary door shut with a loud bang.

'Well, Reis? Are you awake?'

_Yes, I am…_

'Don't worry, you're safe now…Seifer got away, but Quistis and Commander Xu managed to haul you here after you got badly burnt. Quite a horrific incident…all the students were in an uproar when they heard of this,'

_Falsehood or truth? They couldn't possibly like me THAT much…_

'You need plenty of rest before you can start working again. Here, have some water,'

_Ugh…did he have to move my mouth that hard? It feels as though my jaws were fused together…_

'There, that's better. Have some sleep, I'll let visitors in one by one if you want. Move your finger once if you say yes to this,'

_Mmph…there, one finger slightly up. That should be enough…I feel as though I've run ten miles…_

'Alright, I'll tell the students outside that they can come in one by one,'

The door opened again with a squeak and a series of light footsteps could be heard.

_Whoever this visitor is…I have a feeling I know her…the little girl…from my training group…?_

'Oh…M-Miss Reis…' the girl cried softly, sobbing into Reis' hair, 'I heard from the other students…I should have helped you, at least I could've helped you take Seifer down…'

_Foolish girl…you could've well died if you tried helping me…Seifer's not the sort of guy to spare people, I know that now. Better for you to have stayed in your dormitory like you did._

'I don't think I can bear seeing you like this anymore, miss. I'll leave you to rest now. See you later, when you can teach us again!'

_Ahh…they miss me teaching…how sweet…_

The visits continued for over an hour, students confiding to Reis about how much they liked her as an instructor, their feelings about her and their condolences for her suffering. Some were hysterical; others were…cold…almost unfeeling, as though pressured by their peers. All the same, Reis appreciated this; if she could she would have cried. Never in her life had she experienced this form of recognition; she had been the hunted while in Goland Colliery, she had been the centre of jealousy in Lionel; even getting cursed while protecting her true love. After the battle with Altima she had been branded a heretic like Ramza and hunted; if it were not for the dragons of Ivalice responding to her pleas for assistance, she would have been exposed to endless battles for her life.

'Alright, you all have to get out, students,' Dr. Kadowaki shouted at the group of students who had forced their entry, 'She needs rest, can't you see the time? It's nearly midnight. Get to your beds before Cid sees you out of bed against the night curfew,'

He then turned to Reis.

'Right…you've sustained quite severe burns. We need to treat that now. Please bite this tightly if you can, changing the bandages might hurt,'

He gently pushed in a wooden stick into her mouth, allowing her to bite it. Pulling off the bloody bandages from her back, Dr. Kadowaki held back a disgusted comment as he saw the severity of the burns once more. The raw, red flesh was exposed, clotted at parts, the back of her ribs showing where the skin had literally burned off. As he began to unwrap the bandages further along, he began to see other damages to Reis; swellings had erupted near the stab wound on her shoulder, where the heat was insufficient to burn the skin and flesh away; as it could not take away the skin, the flames left large blisters on her once-creamy skin. Taking a small needle, the doctor pushed it into the largest of the swellings, bursting it and letting a small amount of pus fall onto the soft cotton towel that he held ready. Dabbing away the remains of the foul liquid, he washed it with a small amount of disinfectant; Reis emitted a shrill, soft squeal of pain and bit down on the stick as the fluid stung her exposed flesh.

Wrapping Reis again in fresh bandages was a challenge. It was hard to carry on wrapping, when that beautiful face distorted in agony as the doctor placed each fold of bandage linen over the open flesh, each time causing more and more pain. Tears began to flow from Reis' eyes, the doctor carrying on with sorrow, knowing that it was necessary, no matter how unpleasant it was for her. If it were not put on, she would be dead of infection. If it were put on, she had to endure great pain.

_I don't want to die…the pain…the pain…it's unbearable…but if I die…I will meet Beowulf again…we would be reunited once more…is there no easier way?_

'There, done…you may rest now…forget the pain,' the doctor whispered into Reis' left ear, cutting off the end of the bandage as he finished wrapping the last of the exposed burns. Flicking off the light, he left Reis to sleep in the warm comfort of the infirmary, where she would not be disturbed by students during the night.

The following morning…

'Ouch…' Reis whispered to herself, barely audible.

She tried to raise one shaking arm, restraining back the agony in her mind with great effort, the burnt skin and flesh stretching beyond their stiff limits as she tried to raise it higher, causing her to lower her arm with a soft yelp of pain.

_When would I be able to walk around again? God…I miss teaching already…and the students too…_

Looking around the infirmary, she saw Dr. Kadowaki already awake, filling something in the corner. She could see a small bar of soap…and a metal basin with a woolen towel inside.

'Awake already, Reis? Had a good night's sleep?' the doctor asked her, falsely cheerful.

'Yes, doctor, I'm awake,' Reis lisped, lips dry and voice virtually silent.

'Good…Now, I will need to check the other wounds other than the severe magical burns. You know which ones I'm talking about,'

_He's not going to…wash them, is he? That's going to hurt again…so much for 'Forget the pain'…_

'Don't worry, it won't hurt. I've managed to visit Balamb and purchase a jar of painkillers,'

_Painkillers…?_

'Drink this with the water…open your mouth, just swallow the object inside the water…' he said, tipping the pill and a glass of water into Reis' mouth.

The effect was immediate. The pain seemed to lessen at once, fading away to simple memories. _Those are some real 'pain-killers', they really kill the pain…I like that…very much…_

'Now, tell me if it hurts…' he added, rinsing the wound on her thigh with ointments of various kinds. Not one thing did Reis feel…not pain, not even the slightest touch. It was as though her senses had been dulled to the point where she could not feel any more sensations.

'That's good,' he sighed, washing the wound with some steaming water. Under normal circumstances this would have caused Reis to jump, but under the influence of those pills, she did not make a single twitch.

Days passed in similar ways, the doctor cleaning the wound every morning and evening. Reis' creamy skin began to return to its original state, the wounds in her leg and shoulder sealing by the end of the week and leaving only thin scars. This she knew would disappear in time, just like her slashed face. The doctor discharged her by midday of Sunday, by which she was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of students who carried her all the way back to the dormitories.

_It was all a strange feeling…those hands passing you along through the halls, one by one, as though you were a parcel of goods…I'd have thought that they were insane at first if I had not seen their grief at my pain…I now know what else makes them strong. Devotion. They were devoted to me beyond anything that I had met before…That was possibly why some of them could execute attacks flawlessly and gracefully, all combined with strength, speed and power, all in an attempt to please me and impress me…I have much to learn from these students…_


	23. A New Holy Swordswoman

Reis knocked on the Cid's office door. She wondered why he had called her to his office this early, and only the day after she was discharged from the infirmary.

_Does he have no heart? Can I not rest for a moment in my life? _Reis thought disdainfully in her mind as she tapped her feet on the red carpet.

'Ah, Reis. Come in,' Cid said, bowing and welcoming her into his sunlit glass office.

'I would like to ask you one thing,' she began irritably, 'What is it that you want now?'

'I understand if you are upset or troubled by the events of last week,' he said, 'But there are other, more pressing matters at hand,'

'What now?' she asked, gritting her teeth to stop herself from shouting.

'Squall, Zell and Selphie…the See-D's sent on a mission, are requesting assistance,' Cid explained, pacing back and forth, 'We have decided here, as a staff, that you and Quistis be sent to assist them in their mission,'

'Even with this condition…Even after I had just been discharged from the infirmary…You now send me off to a mission outside? What are you thinking of? Are you and your staff so…so…heartless, that they send me out!' she snapped, slamming her fist down on Cid's oaken table.

'Calm down, Reis!' Cid shouted, standing up, 'Think of it as an honour. It has been a long time since an instructor had been sent on a non-test mission to assist students! You, and Quistis, would be the first to have this privilege, one that had not been given for at least thirty years! You would become the forefront of all the instructors, the figurehead of them, the leaders of the lot. Would you decline this?'

'I will do it for the students and the instructors…nothing else, especially your gratitude,' Reis spat, turning on her heels and striding out of the chilly sunlit office.

Blood started seeping down the reopened wound on her thigh as the elevator descended. Ignoring Quistis' questioning look when she arrived at the ground floor, Reis stormed towards the car park without another word, the two katanas dangling low on her back on this day, trailing on the floor as she walked. Quistis jogged alongside her, the dragoner needing only one large stride for two of her steps.

'Reis, calm down…' Quistis said, unlocking a black car and tossing the keys to a student, who saluted Reis and Quistis.

'How can I calm down when that…that…insensitive beast tells me that I'm on a mission as soon as I get out of the recovery room?' Reis cried, clenching her fist around the bleeding thigh, 'You can see for yourself that I'm not quite healed yet,'

'True…but don't forget; half of those See-D's keep on fighting no matter what wounds they receive. Don't think that you'll get any special treatment from Cid just because you are popular among them,'

'If you say so,'

The car started up, leaving the dark garage with a loud roar. Balamb was only a short distance away, past a couple of tree stands and a broad plain. It was a seaport city, with a train link to the mainland. Neutral in disposition, it was neither an ally nor enemy to any empire in the land…or so Quistis says.

'We're here,' Quistis said, opening the door on Reis' side.

Seagulls soared overhead, some diving in for the odd fish and things, ignoring the carefree chatter of the youths down below in the concrete-lined streets. The citizens gave occasional waves to Quistis as she passed; apparently the town knew her and the other students well. The sea was fresh; Reis could feel its refreshing breeze on her face. _How I wish I could live near the sea…_

'Come on Reis, we've got to board the train now,' Quistis shouted, motioning Reis to follow her as she glanced at the clock on the wall of the newsagent.

The train was quite comfortable in Reis' opinion. _At least it isn't as rough as a chocobo caravan… _There were a number of rooms in the compartment, locked by strange keyholes that appeared to be slits on protruding boxes. Quistis slid a card with a black stripe on it, and the door lock clicked and opened.

'Make yourself comfortable. We will arrive at the destination in a few hours…' Quistis said to Reis, sitting down on a bed and reading a magazine that she obtained from a small rack.

'Quistis…there is a favor I would like to ask of you…' Reis muttered into the senior instructor's ear.

'What is it?'

'I would like you to leave me alone, by myself, in this room for a few moments,'

'Why?' Quistis asked, closing the magazine.

'I need to talk to someone that you won't be able to see. I sense their presence, but I cannot see them, and neither would you. Please, let me speak in the near-silence, I will need as much of it as possible,'

Quistis stared strangely at Reis for a moment, before exiting the compartment, still holding the magazine.

'Beowulf?' Reis spoke, rather loudly, 'Beowulf, are you there! Or somebody! Mustadio!'

'_Yes, Reis, what is it?' _the voice of Orlandu said, loud and fearsome, '_Do you need someone to talk to?'_

'Well yes! I've just been burnt half to death, been only recovering for a week and had to get out on a mission!' Reis shouted back, exasperated.

'_Hmm…got to be tough for you. Even I had more time when I had a broken leg. But anyway, what do you need to see someone for?'_

Reis thought for a moment.

'Orlandu…You're a holy swordsman, right?'

'_Yes, that's correct,'_

'What're you doing in Goug?'

'_The remnants of Delita's royal guard are preparing to siege Goug. I've been excommunicated and branded a traitor, exiled from the Nanten knights, and now I'm guiding the defense of Goug. Alma's hiding somewhere in the town, and Mustadio's out training all the mechanics in the arts of marksmanship. It's quite a stressful situation for him, I'm afraid. Thankfully your dragons have come from the north, that should help us,'_

_How did they…know about this? How did my beautiful serpentine friends know?_

'Alright, I'll leave you to that. But I would like to ask you something,'

'_What is it?'_

'Can you teach me how to use some of the Holy Sword skills?'

'_I don't know if it would work. But we'll see anyway. Try this—No, not now, later, when you fight a monster. Say,_

'_Armor won't help the heart stay sharp!_

_Shellbust stab!'_

'_That would destroy your opponent's armor. Next, try this._

'_The doom of a planet on one's soul…_

_Crush Punch!'_

'_That would possibly kill someone. I heard from Beowulf though, you could already kill something with a spell. Oh, and one more…very useful, this one…_

'_Destroy weapons with fury!_

_Hellcry Punch!'_

'_Don't expect to be able to use these immediately, they took me awhile to learn, as an apprentice knight when I was young. Try them out first outside a serious battle. I must go now, the enemy is going to come to Goug within a few weeks at most. I will hope that Mustadio has trained those mechanics enough with their guns. Farewell,'_

'Orlandu? Oh, blast it, he's left…' Reis muttered angrily. She wanted to talk to Beowulf again…

'Alright Quistis, you can come in again now,'

'Who were you speaking to anyway? As far as I know, these trains don't have portable telephones,'

_Whatever is a 'telephone'…some way of communicating?_

'I was communicating to my friends somewhere else,'

'Oh…right…'

_Something about her way of speaking doesn't convince me that she understands. I hate it when this happens…I was misunderstood as a dragon, and so did my dragon friends. It gives us all no end of trouble…_

'Get some rest, we're arriving at our destination in two hours,' Quistis said, lying down casually on one of the beds.

Reis lay down very carefully onto the bed, though there was nothing there to hurt her. It had been in her nature to mistrust every new place she visited, ever since her dragon days had left her with a deep sense of mistrust towards the remainder of the human race, though not those that she had been with for a while.

'So where did you come from, Reis?' Quistis asked, her hands under her head.

'Ivalice. You may think that I'm crazy because you haven't heard of it, or you may believe me and think no more of it. Take it either way,'

'I've never heard of it, but I'll believe you. Is that where you got your incredible strength and skills?'

'I've…well…learned skills very quickly, even as a child. But yes, having lived in Ivalice for thirty-nine years has given me a little bit of strength. I had been hunted down for twelve years near the end of the Lion War,'

'Thirty-nine years! Are you mad?' Quistis yelled, sitting bolt upright, 'You're much older than me and yet…you look no older than eighteen! How do you do that!'

'I have no idea myself,' Reis mused, placing her head on the soft white pillow.

'Whatever you tell me, you can't be older than eighteen, it's impossible that someone that is thirty-nine years old appears no older than a See-D on graduation day,'

'Believe whatever you want…'

The train ground down to a halt in a desert two hours later, departing again to leave the two women on the dry, concrete-built station out in the middle of nowhere.

'Where exactly are those students that needed help? I thought we arrived at our destination,'

'We have, but we still need to walk there. Come on,'

Walking was a horror for Reis. Inching their way through the barren, stony desert, under the blistering heat of the blazing desert sun, sweating away in the merciless, scorching air…the wounds on her shoulder and leg may open at any time, and her burns, which had just healed, may become worse once more…oh, it was a horror. Biting back her lip as she trudged through each step of golden, glowing sands, she endured the painful sensation on her feet, just like that on the other parts of her body, baking in the dry, heated wind.

An hour later, Reis collapsed, sitting down under an odd palm tree near a small forest. Panting loudly, her rose-coloured lips cracked and dry, she needed water badly. Seeing a large, barrel-like cactus, she thought of all the water within. She had to crack that open.

Unsheathing a katana and creeping forwards, Reis steadied the blade with both hands, trembling as she did. Concentrating entirely on the cactus breaking in two, she swung down her blade, whispering the words, 'The doom of a planet on one's soul…Crush Punch!'

Immediately, as though crushed by an invisible sledge-hammer, the cactus was squashed down to a mere paper-thin basin-shaped woody object, its juice and water filling the centre. Shivering at the thought of this happening to a person, she gladly picked up the rather thorny basin, drinking the bitter water with relish as the liquid moistened her parched lips. Quistis looked on in amazement, rubbing her eyes, before running to Reis, holding her up.

'Poor you, so exhausted…I'll need to have a word with Cid after this…Come on, Galbadia Garden is only a short way away,'

'Galbadia…Garden? Isn't that the name of the nation of which I killed an entire platoon of soldiers?'

'Yes, it is, but all the Gardens are neutral territory. We're simply mercenaries for hire,'

_Mercenaries for hire…No allegiances, no loyalties. Sounds like a dangerous life. Make a ton of money, earn a legion of enemies. How intelligent._

'Quistis! Over here!' the cheerful voice of Selphie said, waving at them.

'Selphie! Come, help me with Reis!'

The two women helped the exhausted dragoner into their car, the two other men looking horrified. Reis opened her eyes and saw…

'Hey, how's it going, babe?' a man with a large cowboy hat asked, spinning a large pistol in one hand.

_He called me a 'babe'…Get lost, you villain, I'm already engaged. If only I could split his head in two with my sword at this very moment…which wouldn't be very ethical…_

'Good, thank you,' Reis replied, stiffly, her eyes gleaming furiously.

'We're going to assassinate Senator Edea,' Squall said, scratching his head, 'And this girl-hunter has to do the job. He'd better do it good…'

_Precisely. I don't want to be with him for too long…_

'If the plan fails, we will need as many See-D to kill her close up, should the sniper miss,'

'You're going to snipe the senator?' Reis gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth. _Atrocity! Dishonorable fiends!_

'Exactly. And I will be the one to do the honors of saving the world from her evil clutches,' the show-off cowboy said, spinning his pistol and whistling merrily.

_If only I could punch off his stupid hat, it's so tempting…_

'Oh, and Reis, Quistis, I'd like you to meet our client, Rinoa. She's fighting for Timber's independence, and killing the senator would do the trick. Saving the world and liberating Timber. Two birds, one stone,'

_Oh my…It's his dance partner from the academy ball…_

'Hi,' the woman said, shyly, 'I'm Rinoa, daughter of General Caraway…although I prefer not to think of him as a father,'

_She HATES her FATHER! Blasphemy! Oh…wait, I've been branded a heretic. So I shouldn't say that._

'Greetings,' Reis said, offering a hand, 'I'm Reis Dular, an instructor at Balamb Garden,'

'And I'm Quistis, also an instructor of Balamb Garden. We're here to assist you in your mission. Where's Zell, by the way?'

'Oh, that fool,' the cowboy interjected, annoying Reis still more, 'He got captured by Galbadian soldiers when he drank too much liquor at a nightclub. Caused a brawl and injured four dozen bystanders, if I counted right. He's now in Galbadian Maximum Security on Floor thirty-three,'

_Floor…thirty…three? Wow, that's some building…_

'Anyway, we'll be driving to Galbadia's capital, Deling City. It's named after Vinzer Deling, the president,' the cowboy shouted, trying to raise his voice over a sudden gust of desert wind, 'Come on, all of you, into the car, I'll drive,'

Reis reluctantly sat down in the front seat, because her leg was still bleeding and the front seat was the only one wide enough to allow Reis to prop her leg on the other as she wiped it with bandage fragments on the way to the city. Deling was a distance away, and she could not help being rather disturbed by the new person's wolf-hungry gaze, staring straight at her breasts without shame.

_Hmph…another coveter of another man's woman…if Beowulf was here, he would have torn off this man's head by his own hands…_


	24. Tinge of Darkness

'So what are we to do again?' Reis asked, dabbing the bloody bandage one last time on her quickly-drying wound.

'We are to assassinate Senator Edea from Galbadia within Deling City. We will meet with General Caraway to check further plans for now. It is known that we must use a sniper for the task; she is too powerful as a magic-wielder to be taken out front-on,' Squall recited, tapping his gunblade on his knee, cautiously watched by Quistis and Selphie as the gunblade rose and fell close to their faces.

'Mind to put that sharp thing down, Squall?' Selphie mewled, 'That thing's getting close to my chin!'

'Yes, I agree. Too dangerous to play with that in a car,' Quistis added, seizing the blade and yanking it out of his hands.

'Heads up ladies…and gentleman…we're at Deling City!' the cowboy shouted, the car on the opposite lane beeping its horn and zooming past with a rush of wind.

Deling City could have been a more…advanced mirror to Lionel from Ivalice. Bustling, busy, packed. The very conditions that Reis feared. Sliding lower into her seat, she stared at her blood-covered hands, and then at the bandage. _I've lost a lot of blood…damn that Cid…letting me into a mission before I fully recovered…_

'What's up, young lady?' the cowboy asked Reis, watching her face intently, 'Scared of the mission? Hell, I laugh in the face of danger,'

_Oh, quit your nonsense, big-headed nutter, you're a loser from the moment I saw you…_

'So, whereabouts does your father live, Rinoa?'

_Rinoa. So that was the client's name. Kind of nice…better than mine, anyway._

'Just up ahead, near that metal arch…yes, and turn into that driveway,' she said, guiding the cowboy with an outstretched finger.

The car stopped with a shudder and a squeak, the engines stopping with a brief grind. Rinoa hopped out lightly, the guard next to the door stepping forward for a moment, appearing to be intent on capturing her…but then stepped back and bowed to her.

_Apparently she was still recognised by the guards of the Caraway manor even though she had forsaken it…_

'Good evening, is my father here?' she asked one of the guards, the long tail of her blue dress floating slightly in the wind.

'Yes, she is. Come in, mistress Rinoa, and guests,' he replied, in a bored sort of drone.

'This is my house, so don't feel distracted,' she added quickly, before running up the sweeping staircase of the main foyer. It was indeed a grand manor; vast wall-paintings had taken up most of the space inside the house; expensive-looking ceramics lined the walls on pedestals of marble. A vast gold clock hung on the far opposite wall, its pendulum swinging with a soft _tick _each time it moved.

'Wow…' Reis heard Quistis say, as she moved forward to examine a painting, 'I wonder why she's left this place. If it were me, I'd rather stay here…'

'What a dangerous combination…the father's one of the top military generals of Galbadia, the daughter's a resistance movement leader…' Selphie commented, reading a plaque on the right wall.

'Good evening, misses. My name is General Caraway,' a tough-looking, battle-hardened man spoke, his walking stick landing with a soft _clunk _on each landing of the staircase.

'I will now explain to you the plan. The senator, Edea, is to present a favorable face to the public today. She has planned a grand ceremony, in which she would parade around the entire city. The city resembles a circle cut in the middle by a road; this is where we will act,'

He looked at all of the women, seeing if they had understood what he was saying so far.

'The sniper and another person would get into the presidential palace at nine o'clock this evening; that time would be the time the gates would open, and as the guards would be busy with the crowd, the sniper and the extra would dash quickly into the palace. Inside is a carousel that would go up as soon as the parade vehicle completes one full circle. I have placed a high-powered sniper rifle in the carousel, which should kill the senator in one well-aimed shot,' he continued, pausing again to check their understanding.

_Whatever a 'sniper rifle' is, I don't think it's pleasant…_

'This is the most crucial point; the three people in the central monument will drop both ends of the gatehouse; this would trap the senator in the monument, perfect for the sniper to take out. If he fails, the three inside the monument would run out to ensure that the senator is killed. Under any circumstances, DO NOT ATTACK VINZER DELING!' he yelled, causing them all to jump, 'Killing him would only further increase the pressure on Timber, and Timber would never achieve its independence. Only if you kill the senator and turn the crowd against Deling will you achieve anything. The senator is popular, yes. More popular than Deling the over-taxing bastard son-of-a-bitch…'

'So, who will we pick for the teams, Quistis?' Reis asked her in an undertone, 'I definitely want to be in the gatehouse. The reason I know not, but I have a feeling something bad would happen in the palace…'

'Alright. Me, Selphie and you will go into the gatehouse monument, Squall and Irvine the sharpshooter can go into the palace,'

_Irvine. So that's the name of that loser flirt._

'Got it?' Caraway said, staring at them all with one cold, dark eye, 'There will only be one shot fired. No more. No less. No failure. Let's see…you have fifteen minutes to reach your allocated positions, go now! And hurry!'

'Rinoa—where's Rinoa? Selphie? Reis?' Quistis asked them, searching frantically for Rinoa on the spot.

'Probably off somewhere in her house, Quistis, don't worry about her,'

The parade was indeed going to be grand.

Moving around in the crowded city was bad enough; but when the parade was about to start…it was hell. There was nearly not enough space to move a foot in front of the presidential palace, but thankfully the archway monument was quite open, unguarded, without people underneath.

'So, we're to wait here until the senator comes underneath?' Reis asked Quistis, her face hidden in the shadows as she climbed up a ladder, wincing on every second step.

'Yes, that's the plan. Now, where are the gatehouse controls…? Ah, these seem to be it,' Quistis mumbled, fiddling with a complex board-thing with a lever in the middle.

'I wonder how long that would be…' Reis sighed, slumping down against the cold bare wall.

'Not long, it's about to start,'

The wrought iron gates of the presidential palace remained closed, but the crowd gathered outside cheered as the dark-suited form of Vinzer Deling stepped out onto the podium on the second floor of his residence. Behind him was (Reis assumed so) the senator, cloaked entirely in black reminiscent of darkest night, trimmed with dark silver. Her hair was bound tightly in a bun, her skin…so pale, nearly pure white like the snow.

_She resembles a vampire…_

'Is that the senator?' Reis asked Quistis, pointing out of the gatehouse window at the black-robed woman.

'Yes, it is,'

_Senator…I will get even with you for what you have done to me at Balamb Garden…You will feel pain tenfold of what I have suffered…_

'People of Galbadia…Fools, half-witted children,' she heard the senator say on the loudspeaker. _I wonder why they're not angry with her, it's as though they're under a spell._

'Today we will celebrate…my ascension to chancellor of the Galbadian Republic. To a grand era of prosperity…of peace…of stability. I will promise you all nothing but wealth and land, peace and trade. No more wars! We shall make peace with Esthar to our east, and the world shall know happiness,'

Her words were greeted with enthusiastic applause, a blast of shrill voices and whistles as the senator was cheered on. Putting up a hand for silence, the senator shouted to the crowd.

'Sisters and brothers of Galbadia…let us begin the ceremony…with an offering of blood and soul,' the senator said, turning to Deling.

'I don't believe this,' Reis said, staring at the senator hold Deling by the throat, dangling him over the edge of his residence balcony, threatening to let go at any moment, the president scrabbling helplessly at her hands. It reminded her of her own sins…when she threw Rufus the Shinra president out of the window…If it looked this horrible on another person…

_I don't want to think about what I looked like when I did that…it's…just too painful to think about._

Letting the president go, the senator floated down with her magic, settling herself onto the seat on the parade vehicle, her guard kicking aside the crushed body. That shock of red hair…the silver jacket and that narrow gun-blade…looked strangely familiar.

Seifer. It was Seifer. So that was what he meant by the true queen of the world; Senator Edea of Galbadia. She was not intent on peace. She was bent on world conquest.

_And I have to stop her._

'Reis, what are you doing?' Quistis said sharply to her, grabbing her arm as soon as she had laid a hand on the rusty iron ladder, 'Don't go out there. It is most likely that even the smallest disruption would cause this mission to fail,'

'I need to settle a score with those two,' Reis hissed back, 'They have injured and insulted me in Balamb Garden. Tonight, they will die,'

'Settle down, Reis. You will get your chance to do that later,'

'Make sure that I do,' Reis muttered, sitting back down.

'Oh, they're opening the gates…'

The vehicle began to move, showering the crowd with coloured flames, dancers and musicians either side singing a strange song…a song that oddly sounded eerie and disquieting.

_Fithos…Lusec…Wecos…Vinosec…_

The dancers began to move their graceful forms in complex movements, dancing to the beat of the drums, the blares of the trumpets and the string instruments. Onward the vehicle moved, inching its way through the eastern segment of the main street.

_Fithos…Lusec…Wecos…Vinosec!_

Still the carousel had not ascended its way to the top of the residence. The crowd began to move after the vehicle, their whistling and cheering still audible from the distance.

_Fithos…Lusec! Wecos…Vinosec!_

All movement seemed to pick up speed as the strange song hit its climax. Dancers spun around on their heels and leaped high, amid the raucous noise of the citizens. The drummers seemed to pick up speed, beating their drums louder, faster, the adrenalin running high.

_Excitate vos e somno,_

_Liberi mei, cunae sunt non,_

_Excitate vos e somno,_

_Liberi fatali somnus est non!_

_It seemed almost magical…almost spell-like…_Reis thought, tapping her foot in time to the disapproving look on Quistis' face.

_Surgite!_

_How long would this parade take to cross the town? Frankly, I'm bored…_

_Invenite!_

_Exhilirating…and boring…at the same time. I feel sleepy. But I want to stay up._

_Veni hortum veritatis!_

_I'm beginning to remember an ancient language that my mother told me…_

_Horti verna veritatis!_

_I remember now! A language called…oh, I forgot. This song…it's talking about seeking the truth?_

'Wake up! Reis! They're nearly under the gatehouse!' Quistis yelled sharply over the loud chanting of the crowd and the singers.

'What! Already!' Reis yelled back, standing up agitatedly.

'They moved faster when you didn't look, and the carousel is also up. Get ready, we will begin soon,'

The vehicle passed under the golden arch, the people being barred back by guards due to some throwing of stones. _All the better, no interference by the innocents…_

'NOW!' Quistis grunted, pushing all her weight onto the lever. Creaking, groaning…before crashing down with a cloud of dust and a loud clang, the portcullis of the gates dropping either side of the parade vehicle. The dancers and band scattered, screaming in terror, while the senator and her guard simply stood there, amused.

Meanwhile…

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU CAN'T DO IT!' Squall shouted at Irvine, his face exhibiting utmost rage, 'WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU AND YOU JUST BACK OFF?'

'I'm sorry…it's just not in me to shoot the senator. I'm a show off. Just a plain show off,'

'Look, we didn't come all the way here to fail, you understand? Those women in the gatehouse—Quistis and Reis—They're going to be killed if we…no, YOU, don't attempt something. Now grab that sniper rifle and shoot. If you fail, I won't get angry. I promise. If you succeed, all the better. Just one shot. Please try it,'

'Alright, one shot it is,' Irvine answered back, standing up and crouching on the edge of the carousel, aiming the long rifle with a steady hand. A split second of utter, complete silence—a moment of fate's weight on one's hand—a single period of pulling the trigger of doom—followed by an ominous blast and a speeding bullet streaking towards the senator's head.

Edea did not stay put. Holding out her hand, she created a greenish, spherical barrier around herself, the bullet slowing down as it struck the surface, before stopping to a halt in front of her hooked nose. Frowning angrily, she motioned the guards on either side of the main street towards the presidential palace.

'Ah, Instructor Reis. Welcome to Galbadia,' Seifer said, greeting Reis with a fake display of hospitality.

'I will hear none of your words, Seifer. You are past redemption,' Reis growled, fingering her katana, staring at Seifer with her cold ultramarine eyes. He will die today.

'I'm very sorry to hear those words, instructor. I was willing to spare your life if you would follow me as a slave. But enough talk! En garde!'

Seifer's inexperienced slash came down towards Reis with great strength, but easily dodged by Reis, who glowered at Seifer for a split second from the corner of her eye before slashing his arm three times rapidly.

'That—is for the dishonourable wound on my leg you have inflicted at Balamb,' Reis yelled at Seifer, who was looking on with fear, eyes wide open and paling at the sight of the instructor's deadly rage, 'And you will soon perish by my blade. _Destroy weapons with fury! Hellcry Punch!'_

Seifer howled in pain as his gunblade shattered in his hand…his only natural hand remaining, that is. The other had been replaced by a steel blade; gleaming in the semi-darkness. The severed hand fell to the floor, landing with an unpleasant thud and oozing blood, the pallor of the hand adding to the disgusting appearance.

'How do you like that, now, huh? Like to cause pain?' Reis sneered, spitting on Seifer's bowed head, 'I will give you more pain. Seal evil in eternal stone! Break!'

His remaining arm was encased in stone, shattering to reveal a stiff, concrete construct where the flesh and steel was before. Crumpling down to the ground with the weight of the stone, Seifer could only look on in fear at the enraged instructor. Even Edea seemed to laugh at his plight; anger and hopelessness gripped his heart, causing him to plead for mercy.

'Please…I beg you…spare me…don't kill me,' Seifer cried, bowing his head and letting tears fall as he spoke.

'You dirty bastard. You expect me to give you mercy? NEVER!' Reis shouted, advancing on the hapless man.

Grasping him by the throat, Reis drew out her dagger.

'See this?' she whispered, in a most dangerous tone, 'See the point of this? I will carve my name into your flesh, as many times as it would take to make you learn of what pain I had to endure,'

The man screamed as Reis slashed her initials into the man's skin, tearing the flesh below. Blood seeped down the wounds, and grew to a steady flow as Reis repeatedly went over the macabre writing.

'Reis! You needn't go that far!' Quistis yelled, alarmed at the woman's acts, 'That's enough Reis, he had been part of the Balamb Garden for a long time, if not since childhood. He's part of us!'

'Part of us…? Tch, this piece of filth deserves no better than a quick execution,' Reis spat, glaring at the weeping man, 'Enough of this. Doom of a planet upon one's soul…Crush Punch!'

A piercing scream split the night as Seifer was crushed to inexistence, the splintered remains of his skeleton scattered within the archway, pieces of his flesh lying some distance away from where he was. He had been pulverized by Reis' powerful magical attack; there was no going back for him. Smiling cruelly, Reis kicked aside the remains of Seifer, careful to put as much mud upon it as possible with her shoes.

'You're next, senator Edea,' Reis hissed, 'You're going to feel ten times as much pain as I felt when you had burnt me half to death,'

'Speak all you want, young fool,' the senator replied, her voice icy, 'I will still defeat you,'

'Let's see about that. Destroy weapons with fury! Hellcry Punch!'

The senator erected another magic barrier with an easy sweep of her hand, deflecting the wave of energy at the wall, of which a large chunk crumbled to powder as the energy smashed into the hard stone.

'Now it's my turn. Nature's wrath, come and go in flames! Firaga!'

A blast of searing heat emanated from the senator's pallid hands, rushing towards Reis at terrifying speed. Ducking, Reis narrowly dodged the possibly-fatal spell, which burnt a hole in the monumental portcullis. _Never before have I faced a powerful mage of the likes of her…She surpasses all that I have seen…_

'You! Stop right there!' a group of six soldiers shouted, trooping towards the trapped vehicle on which they were fighting on. Reis merely stared at them coldly.

'Doom of a planet on your souls…Crush punch!' she hollered, sweeping her katana at all of the terrified guards. Immediately they disintegrated into masses of flesh and fragments of bone, the same fate of Seifer befalling them. Turning towards the senator, she drew a second blade.

'No more will I attack nicely. One cannot exist without a soul! Death!'

The green sphere of protective energy surrounding Edea dissipated under the extreme force of Reis' death spell. Edea, though unharmed, appeared livid, furious that her defences had been destroyed.

'Destroy all in force! Ultima!'

Time and space itself seemed to distort as Reis was thrown against the wall of the monument by a blast of energy, which ripped the vehicle apart to shreds of metal and burning fragments of material. Slamming hard into the stone, Reis tasted a bit of her own blood; bitter, warm, and intoxicating.

'You're good…but no more! I will kill you—now!'

A silver dagger sailed through the air, shrieking towards the pale neck of the senator. Jumping out of the way, the senator cried as the knife pierced her right shoulder. Furious, the magic-wielder summoned a number of icy javelins.

'I have hardly ever fought someone this talented—but it all ends now,' she panted, motioning the floating ice bolts towards Reis. They streaked forward, a bluish-white blur, Reis attempting to block them with her two katanas-

It was no use. Her body was mercilessly studded by frozen bolts, nailed against the wall. The familiar bitter liquid she tasted again, thick, copious, and the warm crimson she felt running down her side and legs. Darkness began to cloud her mind as she fell gradually into unconsciousness, hearing only the senator's deranged laughter at her demise.

**A/N**

I wrote this chapter to illustrate Reis' transition to the dark side. You will see what I mean later. Damn, still more hits and few reviewers. Maybe I should add R&R to the description…


	25. Dragon's Wrath

The soft whirring of something woke Reis up with a start. Groaning, she sat up on the hard white mattress that she was laid on, touching the wounds—or where there should have been wounds before. There were none at all; just pale circular marks where the ice javelins had riddled her body with holes. Standing up, she examined her surroundings.

It appeared to be a small moving cell; there was a filthy toilet in the corner, a small window on the hexagonal walls, and a hard wooden bed that she was sitting on. Other than that, the room contained little except for a small bowl of gruel on the floor; it was, apparently, intended for her. Having had little to eat over the past hours, or even days while she was unconscious (dragoners, though they heal wounds quickly, cannot regenerate large ones in hours). Picking up the bowl, she drained the thin meal in one gulp, setting aside the bowl with a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. _That…would have been the foulest thing I've tasted in my entire life…excluding the rats in the colliery, but that doesn't count._

The cell stopped moving with a gentle shudder, the window now revealing nothing but darkness. Staring at the ceiling light, she wondered what would happen next…

'Come out, you lazy bitch!' the guard outside hollered, unlocking the door.

Feeling around for her katana, Reis realised one thing: this was a prison. She would not have her weapon. Gritting her teeth in apprehension, she pushed open a hexagonal door…

'Finally you're out, you treasoning bitch! We're going to have fun today, boys…but first, Edea's orders…' the guard said, rubbing his hands together. He bound Reis' hands together with one swift movement, kicking her until she was against the strangely-marked wall behind her.

'Stay still,' he commanded, kicking her one last time as hard as it was possible on her arm, causing a large blue bruise to appear on the creamy skin. _I…hate…this…bastard…_Reis thought in her mind, the bruises still throbbing.

'Now, I'll stand back for a minute. Bring in the other prisoner!' the guard shouted, standing back after he had attached a ring of metal on each of Reis' limbs. She looked on in fear as she was raised higher into the air.

'Now…See-D bastard…tell us, what was your objective of trying to assassinate Edea? Speak! Or I will hurt your friend here!' another man said to Squall, his expression fearsome.

'See-D's…are to spread peace in this world…' Squall said, bowing his head. _Oh my God, he could have made a better lie than that, nobody would believe such a thing from a mercenary group…_

'Liar! I assume you like seeing your friend getting tortured, do you? Just wait and see…'

_Whatever is happening, I don't like it, another two are nodding to the questioner and are aiming their guns at me…_

'See what happens if you don't comply…properly…Fire away, boys!'

The guns exploded, firing off bullets at Reis. One struck her in the thigh, and the other on the hand. Screaming in pain, she made an attempt to escape her bonds, but failed. Blood began to trickle down her leg and fingers, crimson, warm and familiar.

'I will give you another chance…tell me! What do the See-D want through the assassination of Edea? Speak!'

'I will not say it…'

'Let your friend suffer again. Fire!'

Another two bullets pierced Reis, this time on her other leg. Panting softly, trying to ease the pain in her mind, Reis stayed put, looking on with apprehension at the next thing that could happen. She noticed that the two gun-wielding guards had put down their rifles, staring intently at her.

'Take him back to his cell. Tell senator Edea that they will be executed at daybreak tomorrow by firing squad,'

_Executed. What a nice thing to say. At least I will meet my beloved again…even though it's not the way I would like it._

'But first, we'll have fun with HER! Turn on the current, boys, we're going to see some quality entertainment for once in years!'

One of them grinned and flicked on a small switch. Immediately a shock surged through Reis' slender figure, causing her to thrash around on the spot, shrieking in pain, while the guards simply looked on in brutal amusement. They flicked off the switch again.

'Had enough fun? Let's go again, shall we?'

_They're mad…They're evil…and they will pay for it…later._

The current coursed through her body again, agonizing, numbing. Pain seemed to lessen as her eyesight became blurred. The guards' laughing seemed to be far away and indistinct, their forms unfocused in her view. Falling into darkness, Reis became unconscious once again…

_Ugh…That was hell…_

'Reis?'

'Yes?'

'Wake up, Reis, wake up!' the insistent voice of Selphie trilled, shrill and high-pitched.

'What on earth did they do to you? You were a mess when you entered here, instructor,' the rough voice of Zell said.

_So this was the high-security prison that they were talking about earlier…_

'It was all Squall's fault…' Reis said, sitting up painfully, 'He refused to give them details about the Garden's actions…so the guards shot me and shocked me…'

Selphie and Quistis clapped their hands to their mouths while Zell swore loudly at the details. Reis put a finger up to silence them.

'I can get you all out of here. Turn away from this corner of the room,'

They followed her orders obediently, without question. Not even Zell peeked…

A flash of white light, a great roar, and a silver dragon stood in the corner of the dark prison, next to a pile of female clothes. The others simply gaped at Reis as she spread her wings and flapped them slightly.

'How is this?' she growled, stomping towards the prison cell door.

'B-Brilliant. Couldn't be any better for breaking down a prison. Boo-yah!' Zell shouted, punching the air.

'Stand back,' Reis hissed, bracing herself. The solid steel door in front of her _did _seem solid, but who knows until you've tried…

_Bang. A small dent in the steel. Smack. A larger dent in its place. Whack. I can see the light outside… BOOM! Out flies the wall, down goes the guard outside. I think he's crushed…_

'Well, we're now free to go,' Reis growled, stomping off towards the central barrier to look down over the edge. It was…virtually a hollow tower, with what appeared to be a claw at the very top. The bottom was not visible…

'We're not going until we find Squall,' the other three chorused, crossing their arms when they saw Reis about to take off. The dragon paused, lowering her head and glaring at them with an angry ultramarine eye.

'I'm not going to find a person like that. He may have saved his own honour, but at the cost of my pain,'

'Speak for yourself, Reis! You wanted to protect YOUR own honour during our mission, when if you did try to do so before I had dropped the gates, the mission would have failed! Think of what cost that would come at. All of us executed. That would be the cost of about seven lives, if General Caraway was counted as well,' Quistis snapped.

'True…but for this once—and once only—I will help you to find him. Afterwards, I will leave Balamb Garden to do what I must…'

'Which is?' Selphie asked.

'It is none of your business. Hurry. The guards may come anytime soon,'

The three clambered on Reis' back, bracing for a rough flight as the dragon spread her wings and took flight into the middle. Hovering slowly and ascending the myriad floors, she scanned each for any sign of guards or Squall. But one thing caught her eye…

'Is that what I think it is? Our weapons?' she hissed, pointing to a number of guards next to a pile of weapons with one great claw.

'I think so, yes. What about them?'

'Wait and see,'

She swooped down towards the guards, who cowered as they spotted her flying at high speed at them. Sweeping all but one out of the way with an easy whip of her tail, she picked up the last remaining guard with one sharp nail.

'Tell me,' she growled, her eye right in front of the guard's face, 'Where are the other See-D prisoners?'

'I won't tell,' the guard spat, straight into Reis' eye. Blinking in rage, she strode over to the edge of the central barrier.

'You'll fall down there if you don't tell me. You do know how many floors there are, hm? Well, you're going to be a scrambled egg at the bottom if you don't tell us,'

'Alright, alright, I will tell you…he's going to be electrocuted at the very top in…about ten minutes,' he said, checking his watch, 'SO can you put me down NOW?'

'You're not in a position to bargain, but oh well, I'll let you down,' Reis hissed, letting the guard go over the edge of the barrier, letting him scream as he fell to a certain, horrible death at the bottom of the prison tower.

'Very nice, Reis,' Quistis said sarcastically, 'At least we have our weapons back. Here, your katanas,'

'Thank you,' she murmured through her teeth, grasping the loops of cloth on her katana sheaths with two nails. Taking off once more, she knew where to go next: the horrible room at the top of the prison.

Transforming back into a woman once she reached the top, she drew out one katana. Edging closer to the door that read 'Execution Chamber', she muttered 'Doom of a planet…Crush punch,' very quietly, and the door burst open, as though rammed by a truck. Dashing into the room, she held her blade at guarding position, expecting heavy opposition.

Indeed there was; there were about twenty guards, all with their eyes intent on Reis; her beautiful and unclothed form was eye-candy for them. Reis, enraged at this, roared and charged.

'ONE CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT A SOUL! DEATH!' she screamed, sweeping her blade in a semicircle. There was a pause, then the immediate reaction; a dozen guards held their throat, choking, before collapsing onto the ground, unmistakably dead. Stepping calmly forwards towards the remaining eight, she was grinning; a malicious gleam in her eye as she shredded their flesh and bones. Emerging from the blood and gore victorious, she cut Squall down from the wall, helping him up.

'I shouldn't have rescued you, but thank Quistis for convincing me to do so. Let us go now,'

Sheathing the blade, she crouched on the concrete floor, feeling the roughness, before transforming in a blaze of light. The dragon snatched up all four people, and picked up the katanas once more, before dashing out of the chamber and into the main spiraling corridors. Seeing a door marked 'Top Exit', Reis threw down the door, snarling as she ran her way up the dragon-unfriendly designed-for-humans staircase. It hurt for a dragon, to step on a number of sharp-cornered steps at a time, especially with their greater weight and size.

'Aloha, ladies! Care for a last dance before death?' a familiar voice said, before a gunshot rang out and struck the steel step next to Reis' front claws.

'Irvine! You traitorous bastard!' Squall shouted, grabbing his gunblade and making a single step forward on Reis' back; but stopped immediately as another shot pierced his arm.

'Business is business, young fella; the senator offered me half a million gil if I didn't shoot with a proper bullet. I used a rubber one, didn't you notice? If it were the real one it would have gone through her brain in an instant, to splatter her mind all over the crowd,'

'You…son of a bitch!' Reis roared, charging forwards, ignoring Irvine's repeated shots to her face. _It hurts like hell, but why should I care? The mission failed because of this money-bagging, fat-money-bag-loving, money-over-friends-and-honour bastard! I must kill him!_

'Yeow!' Irvine yelled, as Reis ripped the gun out of his hands. Holding a battered and torn arm, Irvine stepped back slightly.

'No more mercy for you, dishonourable fool,' Reis snarled, stabbing him through the stomach with one razor-sharp claw. Blood poured out of his mouth as Reis repeatedly struck him over and over again in the chest, before her tail descended to crush his head and silly hat to a flat pancake. His body reeled over, headless, oozing copious amounts of blood from the crumpled neck, the spine visibly thrust through his back flesh. Breathing flames upon the corpse, Reis obliterated all remains of the traitor.

'We'll get out of here…like this,' she growled, raising her bleeding head towards the ceiling and blasting it wide open with a highly-charged fire breath. The smouldering remains of the ruined ceiling insufficient to hold the dragon back, they shot out into the bright desert sunlight, the four people clinging onto a silver serpentine creature.

Soaring through the bright blue skies, they noticed a number of white streaks leaving a building in the distance. Puzzled, Reis flew towards it, against the protests of the other four.

'I will drop you off here,' Reis murmured, setting down on the edge of a forest close to Dollet, before flying off once more towards the building that launched the white streaks, 'Take care,'


	26. Detour

_Just wait there, you Galbadian asses…just stay where you are…and I will come collect you…for the land of the dead…_

Reis landed on four feet outside the Galbadian missile base, hiding in the shadows.

'Who're you, dragon…oh, wait, you're not a dragon…not a full dragon anyway…' an eerie voice sounded behind her, causing her to spin around.

A tiny little man stood in front of her, possibly only four feet high. He had the most bizarre contraption attached to his head; his eyes had been replaced by glass lenses mounted on a tube; as he looked closely at Reis, these appeared to extend closer to her leathery dragonskin.

'You're half human. And female,' the man continued, his eye-tubes shrinking, 'Where did you come from?'

_This man is strange…he detects things that most people could not…and yet I feel no enmity or fear…why is this?_

'I come from Ivalice,' Reis hissed, in her most kind voice as possible, 'My name is Reis Dular, a Holy Dragoner,'

'A Holy Dragoner? The name appears to suit your genes. My name is Dr. Odine, from Esthar,'

_Whatever are genes…this man is creepy…_

'I am a diplomat from Esthar who had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by Edea. Curses on that foul-mouthed beast! When President Laguna hears of this atrocity she will be sorry!' he raved on, clenching a metal fist.

'Uh…excuse me? What exactly are you doing next to a Galbadian military institution if you're on the run then?' Reis asked, narrowing her eyes.

'Oh, that. I was just trying to do my own share of saboteur work. You see, if I plant one of these—(he shows Reis a small, circular, brightly-painted red object), this whole place would go up in flames. Oh, that was if this wall didn't exist…pity it did. Well, anyway, I will go now. But at least, you can have this. I think it might fit you better than it does fit my female bodyguard, she was…dismembered…by Edea herself when Edea tried to assassinate me,'

He tossed an gold-orange dress to Reis, who recoiled when she saw the horrible colour combination. _How…on earth…does he expect me to wear this?_

'Oh, that's just an adamantine alloy called Impermacite. It's virtually indestructible through physical means, and resists magical attacks quite well. Don't judge it by it's silly colour,'

'Gee, thanks,' Reis growled, sarcastically.

'And another thing…you may yet be able to part-transform. Better yet, come with me. I think President Laguna would have some work for you. May I ride upon your back? Ah…it may not seem rather dignified of me to ask you that question…but alas, I might get caught here and be shot…There are no more peaceful diplomatic ties between Galbadia and Esthar, there will soon be outright war…'

_This man…I pity him…entrusted with a vast load of responsibility with only himself to perform the deeds. I mean, it isn't something an old, withered man would do, would it? Destroy a base of fit, young soldiers by himself? No, I will let him ride, no matter how undignified it is for me, as a part-dragon…_

'Climb on my back, I will fly you gently to wherever you please,' Reis growled, sinking into a clumsy bow so that the man could climb her scaly neck to ride on her back.

'Thank you…now, Esthar is east of here. The time is…(he checks his watch)…three in the afternoon. So the sun should be in the west. Let us go follow the sun's rays,'

_Alright, he does know a lot. I'll just follow his directions…_

Reis spread her wings, beating them as gently as she can while taking off into the air at the same time. It would not be a good idea to dump off a diplomat from high up in the sky…

Over valleys and hills, cliffs and mountains they went, in the blazing heat of the sun and cooled to near-freezing by sudden gusts of powerful winds. It was a wonder that the frail old doctor did not fall off Reis' back. Through a cloud they went, Reis barely seeing where she went because of its density. She could feel the doctor shivering as she shot out of the other end, ice fragments sticking on her scales. Dry red sands were below them, dotted by the occasional car and what she thought was a chocobo or a large monster.

_They all look like ants from this height…_

_  
_'Oh…I can see…dear me…Galbadia is about to invade a city somewhere,' Odine shouted to Reis, the speed at which she were traveling at causing the wind to roar like a lion, 'Look down below, they're massing their forces. Quickly, we must alert President Laguna. Do not fear about me, I will hold,'

_Can he really hold? I doubt it…but if he says so…_

Reis doubled the speed of her beating wings, lowering her head to see what Odine was talking about. Sure enough, there were column upon column of soldiers lined up in the green prairies down below, with the occasional war vehicle dotting the sea of miniature heads.

They were flying over the sea now; a vast bridge spanned the sparkling aquamarine waters; a grey concrete construct spanning the grand blue force of nature. As she marveled at this structure, she noticed an even stranger sight; a city built in the centre of the bridge, a circular platform of stone built upon piers and spires of metal, with a glimmering inverted basin in the centre.

_Whatever city that is, whoever lives there mustn't like visitors…_

'Esthar is not far from here,' Odine said, pointing at the pink cliffs of granite in the distance, dropping like a sheer theatre curtain from a light blue ceiling.

_Wow…that's it?_

'Oh, it's not just the cliffs, it's what's behind it. I assume you don't like crowds and busy places, just like other dragons. So, the best I can do for you is lead you straight into the President's hangar. They wouldn't mind you landing in there, as long as I'm with you,'

'Are there any dragons in Esthar?' Reis asked, looking at Odine with her deep blue eyes.

'Why, yes. There are a number of Ruby Dragons running wild around the northwestern segment of the cliffs. President Laguna himself was nearly killed by one on his first visit to Esthar,'

_There are…dragons in this world. At least I can talk to some of my kind…_

'Fly under the mass of structures there, there is a hidden path that leads straight into the president's hangar,' he said, pointing down at a clear section under the mass of complicated-looking structures. Reis obeyed, carefully avoiding the buildings. It would be agonizing to collide with one, especially with her wings. Thankfully she never crashed; landing with a series of ungainly steps, the old man hopped lightly off her back, shaking off the ice fragments that had stuck to him during their trip in the cloud.

'Tell President Laguna, his ambassador Dr. Odine has returned. And please, instruct the guards to not harm a silver dragon if they see one,' he said, to a purple-metal-covered man

_He's telling the truth, at least, even though I know there are hundreds of humans that despise us dragons…_

'Oh, and please clear the hangar. Get the finest dress that you can find…let's see…the correct size…(he stared at Reis again with those strange tube-like eyes)…get me a medium-sized dress with a thin waist,'

_Really? Do I have a thin waist?_

'It's alright to transform back into a human, o Holy Dragoner of Ivalice,' Odine said, bowing falsely. Reis nearly laughed at this comical treatment, for she was never given a proper title, let alone be given a servant.

'I have given the order to clear the hangar when you decide to put on some clothes. Don't worry, I won't look. Promise,'

_I'll trust him, he seems trustworthy enough…_

'Here is the dress that you requested,' the man said, returning with a beautiful whiter-than-white silk robe. Saluting Odine as the old doctor went up the staircase, he looked at the dragon, feeling rather foolish, holding the robe and depositing it at her feet. Turning around, the man left, ascending the staircase like Odine.

_Now…back to a dragon. I want my human form back. Now._

Slipping on the perfectly-fitted dress, Reis began to wonder…how did that Odine fellow know her measurements? The robe fitted exceptionally well, neither overlarge nor too small. Odine stood waiting on the landing at the top of the staircase, tapping his leather shoes on the tiled floor.

'Ah, madam. I would like to introduce you to President Laguna Loire, the first president of Esthar,'

'It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady,' he said, bowing down to kiss her silken-skinned hand.

'Thank you, president. My name is Reis, Reis Dular,'

'I take it that you had transported my advisor here back to Esthar safely, miss Dular. A most gracious deed, by any standard. Come, have a seat,' he said, clicking his finger and causing three seats to appear, cushioned in dark red velvet, built of the purest, clearest crystal that Reis had ever seen. Sitting down nervously, Reis looked into the space between the two other men.

'Now, master Laguna. Down to business,' Dr. Odine said, rubbing his hands together, 'Galbadia is massing troops at Deling Plains. I have counted a rough estimate of fifty-thousand nine-hundred and fifty soldiers, along with about twenty artillery halftracks and two hundred armoured tanks. As this trivial number would appear, we do have another problem. I have discovered Galbadia's long-hidden, even fabled missile base, in the wilderness of the desert southwest of Galbadia. This may pose a greater threat to us than the ground soldiers' assault, for if they attack us with their missiles, every place in the world is within their striking distance. I have heard from surviving See-D at Trabia Garden that they had been struck by a devastating pre-emptive attack by Galbadia, leaving nothing but demolished rubble in their once pristine, snow-covered peaceful Garden. If this is so, then the entire nation of Esthar is in grave danger indeed. More than that, the attack on the neutral Garden had proved Galbadia's aggressive nature; we must attack before the war declaration is drawn up,'

'It is unquestionably beyond normal ethics to do so…' Laguna said, rubbing his chin, 'But under these circumstances, I believe that it is necessary to do without the formalities. Let the barracks of the eastern and western sectors prepare their soldiers; the vehicle divisions of the north and south will follow later. Edea is an unpredictable wretch indeed,'

'I will send word, your honor,' Odine replied, bowing deeply, before whirling around and vanishing into thin air without as much as a single noise.

'Now, Reis,' Laguna whispered, leaning close to her face, 'Are you, in any way, romantically taken?'

_I will assume that he means 'engaged'…of that I am._

'Sadly, yes. Even though it is to one who had passed away, I cannot break the oath that I have made; that is to be loyal to him forevermore, in life or death,' Reis replied, lowering her head. It is…quite difficult to retain that oath…

'Ah…it is a pity then. I would have liked to accept you as my wife, if that were possible. Even as a companion for awhile. But alas! Here, in Esthar, we reward others for services done for the nation. Here, choose your reward. I do notice the two swords slung over your back. (he pulls out a weapon locker from the wall, which appeared to be a seamless flat wall to Reis before).

A glittering array of deadly weapons lay before Reis; adamantine claws, high-powered guns, accurate rifles…and most of all, that appealed most to Reis…a blade created of pulsating green light, with a handle of the hardest, whitest ivory, a miniature dragon sculpture decorating the hilt.

'Your choice,' Laguna said, smiling.

'I will take this one, then,' Reis answered back, taking the flashing sword. It was warm in her hand, light, far lighter than other swords she had handled previously.

'Ah, yes. That was created by the dragon-speaker Lucretia about two thousand years ago. Quite an incredible blade, and even more a prodigy that you are able to hold it. Anyone else that attempted to hold that fateful blade either faced instant, horrible, high-temperature-melting death, or at least be disfigured for life due to the blade's immediate displacement of their limb at least, or so I heard from Odine. He's convinced me enough not to take it,'

_W-What? Two thousand years ago…and it killed whoever touched it? But why not me? Why am I still standing, alive and well?_

'Still, don't feel discouraged to take it. Feel free to have the blade,'

_Really? Thank you so, very very much._

'It would be much appreciated if you could accompany us on the defense of Fisherman's Horizon. We know that they hate, no, positively _loath _violence of any sort, but it is necessary to halt the Galbadian invasion as soon as it is practicable. As the only route by land into Esthar is through the ocean bridge, they would take the city and create a bottleneck. This we cannot allow,'

_Good…finally a chance to kill as many Galbadians as possible…I will relish every moment of that…_

**A/N**

Argh, I hate this week…got really annoyed at some disrespectful bum from a lower grade, and then my house got egged twice…smashed a window and littered the whole place with two dozen eggs each time . had to clean it up at 6:00 in the morning, it's freezing and I had to use pressurized water to clean it. Grr if only I can land my hands on whoever did it…


	27. Siege of Fisherman's Horizon

'Let the army move,' Laguna whispered into the central loudspeaker system, his voice echoing through every corner of Esthar.

Reis observed the grand Estharian army from above as they proceeded across the broad highways that criss-crossed the vast city. A steady rumble of large war vehicles resounded in the still, warm air, low, disturbing, as the marching footsteps of the ground soldiers created a steady, rhythmic beat of stamping. Flying down to the forefront of the military entourage, she landed gracefully on two feet.

'Ah, I see you have mastered the art of partial transformation, Miss Dular,' Odine said from atop an artillery hovercraft, 'Well done,'

'Thank you, doctor. Now, where exactly is Fisherman's Horizon?'

'It is…about halfway across the ocean bridge that you saw before. Quite easy to find, it is the only city in the ocean,'

'I will go there now,' Reis said, curtseying to the doctor and flying off into the distance, rapidly shrinking to a tiny dot on the horizon.

_Galbadians…I will kill you then…with or without the Esthar army…_

Bursting through a wet, cold cloud, Reis flew towards the Fisherman's Horizon, at speeds that she had thought unattainable previously. She had discarded the ugly form of herself; now she could fly without needing to go through the painful and embarrassing transformation into a dragon. The wings, however, were still scaly and leathery; a vestige of the dragon form that she once had. _At least they were pure silver, not black or blue…that would look horrible._

Esthar border guards stared overhead as the winged maiden flew over them; pointing at her and muttering indistinct, excited words, they were soon lost to view by Reis. The black plumes of smoke up ahead indicated that the battle had already begun in some way or another.

_I must go faster, _Reis thought, as she drove her wings to beat faster and harder, speeding along just above the black asphalt. If the battle was already won…she would have no glory, and no revenge on Galbadia.

A large ship-like object had crashed into the side of the circular concrete plate that was Fisherman's Horizon; it was causing the black smoke that filled the skies. She had thought that some parts of that ship were vaguely similar to something she had seen before; but cannot remember what it was. Putting aside those thoughts, Reis noticed a column of black creeping along the far side of the bridge and approaching the town; it could be no other than the Galbadian army's first invasion offensive.

As she approached the army…she began to remember…those painful moments when Beowulf and Ramza died…when her family died…when her friends perished. It was not easy to get rid of those memories. _They're human too. They would feel the same thing that I do, if I killed their friends or family, _a small voice said in her mind.

_This is war, though…there cannot be mercy on the battlefield…_

_Spare their lives, and spare your own purity. Think not of the glory to be had from slaughter, but on the goodness of your soul._

_Battle and love cannot mix. Personal feelings may not get in the way of war!_

_Glory and honour are but temporal, while the soul is eternal. What you incur now unto your soul will stay with you for eternity._

_I cannot spare them if they attempt to kill me. There is no excuse for stopping war with love._

_Is total annihilation all that you think about, Reis? Not love? Where had the purity of your childhood gone?_

_Those were bygone years…years I'd rather forget. Painful memories…agonizing flashbacks. I would rather not have those left behind._

_You realise the bitter reality of slaying an enemy. You affect the families and friends of those that you kill. You alone have the power to spare their relatives from the crippling grief of losing a loved one. Reis Dular! Wake up to your pure soul once more! Spare those that are less fortunate than you to be endowed with bounteous beauty and incredible intelligence! Are you no longer moved by the love of friends? Of family? Of relatives? Have you forgotten those years of loving and caring? When some people cared about you? What would others feel, if you had slain the people they had loved?_

_Bitter as it is, face it. It is war._

Roaring like the half-dragon that she was, Reis tore through the first line of soldiers with ease, cleaving flesh and bone with an easy sweep of both blades. Striking a face with the pommel stone of her left katana, she stabbed another soldier's groin with the curved point of her right blade, causing him to double up in agony. _No mercy for you today, _she thought, as she kicked him on the back of the neck, fracturing the vital segment of bone that lay less than an inch below his leather-covered skin. Extracting her katana from the bleeding flesh, Reis spun around, ripping several faces apart, the screams of pain spreading terror through the ranks of soldiers.

'Rank! Rank up, fools! Stick together!' the commander shouted, pulling fleeing soldiers back into their ranks, if somewhat hesitant.

'Cut it out! We don't want to die! We would rather surrender than be shredded to pieces by a deadly woman with wings!'

'Cowards! What would Edea think of you fools? Come back here!'

There was no holding it back. All the soldiers began to gradually move backwards as more of them were shredded to strips of meat by Reis' furious whirlwind of cutting edges; left, right, centre, up and down; heads went flying as she batted them off their necks, rifles broken as though they were baguettes of the softest dough; arms severed along with the guns. Yells of panic began to course through the remaining soldiers; calls for retreat were audible over the steady rasping of Reis' blades and the following cries of agony; the dragoner, in her blood-stained impermacite battle gear, had routed a battalion of soldiers all by herself.

Holding up her blade in a sign of victory, she gazed on coldly towards the fleeing cowards. _I'll let them live today…tomorrow they will die._

Turning her back on them, she spotted the first tanks from Esthar in the distance, arriving from Fisherman's Horizon. The soldiers followed soon after, staring in disgust at the guts and flesh strewn all over the asphalt bridge; scraps of metal armor kicked aside as they trooped over the remains of the decimated platoon.

'Lady, did you do all this?' a soldier asked Reis, noticing the amount of blood spattered on her battle gear, flesh and skin sticking on the edge of her two katanas, which were dripping with blood.

'Indeed I did,' Reis said quietly, 'Although I wished I could have done that in a more…civilised manner,'

'Wow…I wish I could've done that,' the soldier replied, whistling.

_He wishes that he could've done what I have done. Does he not realise the sort of cold-heartedness that I must muster to accomplish this grave and terrible deed? No, I guess not; it is not something that I can do…without a certain degree of nightmarish visions occurring in my dreams during the night. Unpleasant, yes…but unavoidable. Perhaps the spirits of the departed may need to be calmed in a way, or in this case, they will calm themselves at the expense of my mind's soundness._

'We will resume our march tomorrow,' Odine shouted, clambering clumsily out of the artillery hovercraft that he was in, 'Sweep aside the remains of the Galbadians and create a temporary base!'

Immediately all the soldiers dropped their weapons obediently and kicked aside the spilled guts; some were thrown into the wine-dark sea, while others were piled up and incinerated with a good blast of fire from a flamethrower. The tanks were placed in a line facing the far side of the bridge so that they formed a sort of wall; they would serve as precisely that until the morning.

'Miss Dular, may I offer you a tent to sleep in?' Odine asked her, showing her a luxurious, vast tent that would have fitted a dozen people at least.

'Thank you for your concern, Dr. Odine, but I would rather sleep under the stars,'

'Ah…I see. If that's what you wish,'

_This Dr. Odine…what does he want from me? I would have no way to find out…maybe later I will._

**A/N**

2Sidez: yes, I do realise that I have made some errors. I wrote and edited chapter 26 really late in the night, so I must've forgot to check those. .

FFIX will not be covered . I'm sorry, but I don't have the game U.U so therefore I can't write about it…once again, I'm sorry…


	28. Angel of Life and Death

Reis blinked in the dim dawn light, peering into the foggy haze that hung low over the bridge. The mist covered all; tents, sleeping people, the black asphalt of the road…not even the slightest pale yellow of the early morning sky was visible, only dull, flat grey that thickened along with the distance. Stretching, she stood up, tilting her head left and right, before flying off into the sky. _There's much to do…but I guess the Esthar army can deal with the Galbadians…_

The large artillery vehicles below shrunk to dot-like squares as she soared higher into the sky. Birds dived out of her way as she beat her wings in forward movement, plunging several feet before rising up again. Feeling the cool, morning air brush and caress her face, she felt a sense of bliss, peace beyond all that she could remember. The sun began to rise further up into the sky; now a semicircle of gold upon the sapphire ocean, illuminating the darkness gradually as it rose, slowly, dignified. Reis stopped for a moment, glancing at the scene of peace. _If only…I could have a peaceful, ordered, stable year…no, month, or even week…I would be very thankful. Never have I had a rest, for there is always someone out to persecute us dragoners. What have we done? What evil have we done? The truth will always delude me. I will forever seek the answer to this problem…and I will never find it, I assume. Maybe I should speak to the dragons that were said to live north-east of Esthar…If the sun rose from the east, then I will go that way._

Diving down into the fog again, Reis began to speed along, beating her wings madly in an effort to reach Esthar as fast as she could. _I never mind some exercise in the morning…_

The calm, glassy surface of the deep blue broke into frothing white foam as Reis zoomed past, her speed whipping up the waves on previously lucid waters. Sparkling droplets stuck to her wings as she beat them ever faster, occasionally touching the smooth surface of the water. She made skipping movements over the large, round sapphire, pretending to be a nymph of the ocean. Her feet skimmed the tops of the waves, dividing them, the water peacefully surrounding her toes and receding again as she rose and fell in the air.

_It's so good…to have peace like this…I miss…I miss the old days, when I could go without fear of being attacked._

The rose-coloured cliffs of Esthar loomed in the distance, hazy with a fine grey mist of smoke. _If that were west, then I need to go north of that…_

Veering over to her left, Reis began to head northeast. Up and around little caverns she went, dodging overhanging rocks and weaving her way through the various sea stacks and arches. Up she went, over a cliff…when she spotted a red, large object, which she knew would be what she was looking for.

The dragoner landed with a soft series of dull thumps as her feet stepped down on the mossy ground, the red dragon only giving a surprised look at her as it noticed her scaly, dragon-like wings.

'Good morning, dragon,'

'_I never knew humans could understand us,' _the dragon replied gruffly, clawing its way towards Reis, examining her closely with a dark eye.

'I'm not totally human, as you can clearly see,'

'_Oh, part dragon?' _it snorted, raising its large head to her eye level.

'Indeed. I would like to ask you about the creator of this item…I believe that you may have seen her at some stage in your life,' Reis said, pulling out the dragon-hilted sword of light. The dragon stared at the decoration, before hissing its rather unfeeling answer.

'_Lucrece had died decades ago,' _the dragon hissed, _'She was…possibly one of the kindest humans who had obtained the gift of dragon-speech. She was the one who looked after all of us. She was the one that fought for our rights. She was the one who represented us. Of course we knew her well. However, she had been…assaulted in a manner most repugnant, to us dragons and to you humans and half-dragons. Shocked, she took up her knife…and slit her own throat, rather than bear the child of a filthy, dishonourable human criminal. Death…would have been welcome for her instead of the loss of her high-held honour. That is all I have to say of her,'_

'I see…' Reis replied, disgusted by the facts given, and also amazed at Lucrece's given, albeit short, life story given by this dragon, 'Farewell,'

'_You are welcome for talking to me. It has been…at least fifty years since anyone talked to me. Lucrece last spoke…to me…minutes before she committed suicide. I must admit…it is lonely, being a dragon and alone as well. May I come with you? At least I shall have some task to perform, rather than sit here doing nothing, avoiding hunting parties as they pass,'_

'You would be most welcome to come with me. By the way, are there any other dragon-speakers that you know of or have heard of?'

'_Yes…to think about it. However, I have lost contact with them during Queen Ultimecia's long, iron-handed grip on the world. Thank heavens that she had been sealed by magical means, we dragons would have been extinct by now if she were not defeated. There were seven original dragon-speakers in this world; all female, all beautiful, and all very proud and honourable people, reflecting the values that we, the dragons, hold. However, six died by execution at distant locations, or so I heard. Lucrece was the survivor, and continued to live for the next thousand years, nurturing us dragons and our hatchlings as if we were her own children… We have regarded her as nearly our mother and caretaker, a leader, a supreme goddess. Of the other six, I know little,'_

_So there are dragoners in this world…_Reis thought, _Persecuted, attacked, excluded from normal society. Exactly like it is in Ivalice. What makes us so special? What makes us that feared or hated? What is it that makes us so…oh, I am at a loss to describe any more of this ridiculous prejudice. Something about us causes the humans to hate us…most of them, that is, for there are always exceptions…_

'Come, let us leave. There is a siege at Fisherman's Horizon, and the Estharian army is being mobilized for the first time in years. We must hurry, the sun is quite high already, and we will be late if we do not make haste,'

The two took off into the light blue sky, zooming through the air towards the endless ocean. Following the course of a bridge, Reis found herself in a totally different scene to what she had seen in the morning…

Fisherman's Horizon, normally a peaceful, quiet town, was up in flames; many of its buildings were on fire, while others were reduced to rubble. Numerous gunshots could be heard even from the distance; the battle was not over yet. The Estharian army had obviously been forced into retreat; many bodies of metal-clad soldiers littered the far side of the road, painted in purple, with few, if any, blue-uniformed Galbadian casualties. Now the fighting had descended into street-by-street warfare; the Estharians were entrenched at various points behind fallen walls and in craters in roads, caused by artillery bombardment.

Soldiers fell dead as bullets ripped through their bodies; civilians were not excluded from the fire. A wave of fury spread over Reis as a weeping girl, only about the age of five, approached her, sobbing on her battle gear, before she was shot by a Galbadian soldier, who laughed at the girl's cry of pain. Reis quickly placed the girl against the brick wall, and drew her katana. Advancing upon the lone soldier, she glared at the still-smug face, hating it, an urge to destroy the person pulsing through her mind. Not one chance was given to the soldier to repent as Reis tore him into two halves with her katana. Turning back to the wounded girl, she kneeled over her bleeding body.

'Poor girl…I will try my best to heal you, don't worry, everything will be fine,' Reis whispered, cuddling the little girl in her arms to calm her down. Weaving her hands in a complex healing spell, Reis closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on the thought of healing the injured girl. A flash of soft golden light later and the girl's wound had been sealed, leaving her in a quite stable condition but still shocked by the unprovoked attack by the soldier.

'I will take you somewhere safe,' Reis said into her ear, picking up the girl and leaving her on the dragon's back, 'Please remain still, and guard this spot. Do not allow anyone to touch the girl, especially a soldier of Galbadia. Also, do not attack anyone that appears to be a non-combatant,'

The dragon grunted to assure Reis of its understanding, and the dragoner dashed off into the city under fire to assist the rest of the Estharian soldiers.

Squadrons of Galbadian soldiers were opening fire on a number of Estharian soldiers, forcing them to remain inside the crater or be shot. Sprinting towards them, her blade dragging on the ground and emitting fiery sparks, she shouted an indistinct word, the other blade held above her head as she charged. Down came the blade, and decapitated three men in one fell swing, and up came the other, and ripped a few others in two. She thrust the blood-stained left blade into a squad commander, just as she struck off his head with the other katana. Kicking off the dead body, she continued to rampage through the soldiers, scattering them in a sea of blood and guts.

A bullet entered the gap in her armour underneath her thigh; she buckled slightly as the shot sped through her flesh and bone, zipping out the other side. Flames shone within the ultramarine coldness of her eyes, before she pointed her blade at the group of soldiers that were aiming at her.

'Doom of a planet…Crush punch!' she panted, stabbing the katana towards the laughing group. Disintegrating into loose fragments of bloody pieces of meat and bone, they were soon deprived of anything to laugh about. Sweeping her blade in a wide arc as she repeatedly muttered that incantation, the air was thick with blood mist, fragments of bone flying like a number of grenades. When all the debris had settled, she slumped down onto the nearest wall, breathing heavily and clutching her leg. There was a large hole in her lower thigh, where the projectile had entered her flesh, and exited at the other end. Her blood ran down her white hands, dripping onto the already-bloodstained road.

_As if my blood would make a difference here, anyway. There's enough blood that I've spilled here for a whole war…_

'Ugh…life's refreshing breeze, cure!' she gasped, the colour draining from her face as another bullet struck her chest right above her heart; if it were not for the Impermacite plating above her breast, she would have been reunited with her love by now. Standing up once more, she made a grabbing movement with her hands towards the sniper who had attempted to kill her.

Dangling hopelessly in the air, the man clutched at his throat, his face turning purple the longer that she held him up. Drawing her hand back and making a throwing movement, she watched the man fly through the air and slam into the wall of a flaming house in rage.

'Reis?' a familiar voice said, 'Is that you?'

'Quistis?' Reis answered back, turning around. Sure enough, there was the instructor, her glasses askew, bullet wounds liberally spread over her body, neither large nor at vital spots. She was, at least, fortunate enough not to have any bullets strike too seriously…

'What're you doing here, Reis? And in that ridiculous suit of armour?'

'Oh, forget about the armour. It looks ridiculous but it's saved my life more than once already. We must kill the Galbadians before they overrun the city!'

'I will stay here and prevent any more coming this way,' she said, walking over to an Estharian entrenchment, which was unmanned.

'Then I will rout the rest of the army. Try not to die,' Reis shouted at Quistis as she ran, smiling.

'It should be me that says that to you, not the other way around!' Quistis yelled back, waving at the blonde woman. _Since when did she have wings?_

Minute after minute, hour after hour, second after second, Reis hacked and slashed her way through the sea of Galbadian invaders. Blood ran down the roadside gutters as the spilled blood flowed into them, creating a trickle, a stream, a steady flow of crimson fluid. It was…nearly a bloodbath. Tens of thousands of Galbadian heads and severed body parts were strewn all over the cobbled streets, more than half of the city on fire…it was nearly a living image of hell. Sitting down on top of a pyramid of dead corpses, Reis dropped her katana and sobbed into her hands.

_Purity…had been my most highly valued attributes during my childhood…My conscience is right…I am not the pure Reis that I once knew. Love can solve war. It can stop war. It can prevent war. While fighting can end wars, it breeds more wars; violence breeds violence; love breeds love; greed creates more greed. I must…repent and make amends…I must not see Beowulf before I am once more a clean, gentle maid…_

_Where is the inner peace that I once had, when I need it? When I walk the valley of death, where does the peace go? My soul is troubled, my spirit befouled. Body may be strong, but spirit destroyed; what does that amount to? Mind may be brilliant, but soul bereft. What is that good for? Nothing. Exactly nothing._

**A/N**

End of another long chapter…and also nearly the end of another week for me. Writing fanfictions is very addictive, I find...


	29. Battle of the Bloody Plain

'The fall of Galbadia is imminent! Push on, brave men!' Reis yelled to the cheering soldiers as they drove the last remaining Galbadian soldiers in a decisive rout on the western side of the ocean bridge. Fisherman's Horizon was safe; if torched nearly to the concrete. Only five or six buildings stood untouched, the rest having been razed by rampaging Galbadian soldiers; hundreds of its citizens perished in the crossfire between Esthar and Galbadia, and in the ensuing battle; its mayor had also died in the violence of the dusk, shot to pieces as he signed a false contract with a Galbadian officer prior to the start of the devastating battle.

Down the dragoner stabbed with her katana; into the hard, shiny steel and through the soft flesh of a Galbadian marksman; having been incapacitated through four slashes in both his legs, he begged of Reis to spare her life as she delivered the killing blow, ultimately releasing the poor soul of his sufferings as she took his senses away. Turning around to another fleeing horde, she extracted the bloody blade out of the carcass, charging forward with a curse upon her lips and one hand stretched forwards, gathering arcane energy within the palm of that hand.

The effect was immediate; a swirl of energy quickly grew to a pulsating, throbbing sphere of pure heat; emitting sparks and tongues of flame as she directed it towards the fearful faces of the fleeing fools. A spiral of fire, a whirlwind of searing wind; screams of the agonised and the cries of the fallen. The fleeing soldiers were thrown unforgivingly from the half-demolished concrete bridge, soaring through the air in a charred and ashen heap, before disappearing into the foaming depths of the raging ocean.

Thunder split the darkening evening; the battle would continue on through the night. Advancing towards the national capital of Deling City, the soldiers of Esthar trooped over the grassland, razing the buildings along the way, firing upon the townspeople along the way—all on the orders of Reis Dular, the unofficial commander of Esthar's fifteen legions. _If they will destroy the lives of the innocent…let their innocents be the price…_she thought, fire burning within her blue eyes as she cleaved off the head of a resisting civilian, letting the body lie in the pool of blood that it created.

'Entrench!' Laguna shouted into the loudspeakers. At his command, the troops dug into the grassy land, piling the dirt into mounds facing the capital city. Artillery units began to unpack their loads, tamping down the exposed dirt that had been dug up to create a hard, compact area to place their energy cannons on. _These were…nothing like the catapults or ballistae of Ivalice…_Reis thought, as she watched one being erected, wiping off blood from her blade with a fragment of torn cloth.

By twenty-one hundred hours…

'Halt!' Laguna commanded again, seeing the vast system of trenches spread out over the vast field, 'You may sleep now. Legion one, your job for tonight is to stay awake as sentries through the night until nought-four-hundred hours, at which we will start the siege. All others: sleep well. Tomorrow we fight,'

'Sir Laguna,' Reis said, bowing to him, 'I wish to ask you…how many soldiers do we have?'

'Ah, Reis. No need for formality with me. I may be leader of Esthar, but there is no need for polite speech with me. For your question, we have here, half a million highly-trained riflemen equipped with fusion energy rifles, with another thousand or so artillery units. Galbadia will not stand for long,'

_Whatever 'fusion energy rifles' are, they sound dangerous. Half a million sounds good to me, too…_

'Soon I will rid the world of the one evil that I can think of…Edea. After that, I will resign from the post of President. I want a quiet life…in the country town where I met my beloved,'

_He's…got a wife?_

'Umm…this may sound rude, but…' Reis started, scratching her head, 'Where is your wife?'

_His eyes look down now. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him that…_

'She…died years ago. Giving birth to a daughter…who never survived either…' Laguna replied, silent tears welling up in his dark brown eyes.

_It is strange to see a man cry…_

'Sorry,' Reis said hastily, 'Maybe I shouldn't have asked that,'

'No, no, it's alright…' Laguna said, stemming the water flow, 'I just miss her so badly…'

_Just like my Beowulf…_

'But don't think of too much of that. Please, go look after yourself, you look like in need of a wash and sleep,'

Reis looked down on her battle gear. Indeed, she was in need of a wash; the blood and gore had stuck onto her fair skin, drying up to form a mat of red on the white skin. Plucking at the buckle of her battle gear's belt, she let fall the hard metal plate-skirt. Coated in dried blood and scraps of human gut, it looked as though a butcher had used it as a tray. Blushing in shame at what she looked like, she immediately stripped off her armoured top, quickly pulling over her equally-bloodstained silk dress as she saw Laguna's face.

'Uh, where can I find a stream nearby to wash in?' Reis asked, feeling foolish.

'You don't need to find one. There are makeshift showers available near my tent. I will personally make sure nobody comes around yours when you use it,'

'Thanks,'

Laguna did indeed prevent anyone from entering the shower cubicle; he stood just outside the door. Which way he looked, Reis never knew. Turning on the shower tap, she shivered as a stream of ice-cold water rained down on her golden-blonde sheets. Scrubbing away the red muck on her arms, she sang softly a song in an ancient language of origins she knew from somewhere; she never quite remembered where she received some of these pieces of knowledge. Running fingers through her hair as she rubbed shampoo into them, she mused on the battle before her; should she charge forwards immediately, or should she remain behind? All the choices were spread out before her mind; and only one to pick. Continuing to muse as she lathered her thighs, she continued in the same vein for the next five minutes.

Irritated with her own indecision, Reis turned off the water, and after wrapping a soft woolen towel around herself, walked out of the cubicle—to find Laguna sleeping next to the cubicle door. Smiling slightly, she picked him up and easily lifted him to his tent, avoiding the astonished stares of the soldiers; never before have they seen a woman carry a person, let alone on one arm. Placing him down gently, she looked down upon the sleeping form.

_Just like a baby…peaceful, tranquil, quiet…_

Leaning against the side of the tent, she yawned widely. Never before had she felt so tired; after fighting hostiles for hours and hours on end, slicing up limbs and shredding bones and flesh, she began to feel the strain of tiredness upon her mind and body. Eyelids began to droop…ears…becoming less…sensitive…closing eyes…hearing nothing…then the silence.

Next morning…

The first loud scream of 'Fire!' roused Reis from her deep sleep; she hadn't slept well for quite a while. It had been…days, weeks, possibly months since she didn't dream of nightmares or scenes of death and destruction. Picking up her battle gear, she slipped them on over her slim, athletic body. Running a finger gently along the edge of a razor-sharp katana, she tested the keen blade; licking up a droplet of blood from her finger, she then smeared another upon the handle, rubbing it into the black handle-cover.

Now she was ready for some action.

Outside…was a battle of epic proportions. Thousands of men charged across the battlefield, opening fire as they ran, beams of light striking the Galbadian army, and bullets felling some Estharians. The wounded moaned piteously on the bloodied battlefield, creeping up to the nearest trench with trembling limbs—before being shot dead. Neither side was emerging the victor this time; an artillery blast eradicated the men, sending them flying either side of the explosion or incinerating them in the heat blast.

Running over to the nearest artillery, she observed the men loading the fusion cannon and firing a blinding beam of green light towards the fray, loading canisters of bluish-white fluid into the ammunition hopper. Noticing the way that the men fired randomly into the crowd of people, not caring whether they struck friend or foe made Reis quite impatient and furious at the same time.

_Why…of all the people on this planet…did Laguna call them skilled? I will show them how it's done…_

'Step aside, soldier,' she commanded the man aiming the siege weapon, 'I will show you how it's done,'

'You? A woman? Don't play tricks with me,' the soldier scoffed, before resuming his pointless barrage, blasting a group of friendly soldiers into the air with a badly-directed beam of energy.

'Step aside, I repeat. Or do you wish your guts to be spilled out like those Galbadians that I slew yesterday?'

_This seems to be working, fear is flitting across his face…he's getting up and letting me use it…_

Reis peered into the periscope. She could see some Galbadians running across the field…and something behind them. Gazing further, she saw…a line of tanks, moving across the horizon rapidly.

Grabbing the handle that controlled the movement, she lined up the dot marked 'Hit' and the other that was marked 'Distant hit'. Holding her tongue between her teeth, she pulled the trigger…

An almighty blast issued from the muzzle of the cannon, knocking Reis slightly backward, but the beam it issued was on its way. Mercilessly, the green ray of light bored into the armour plating, piercing through, burning the interiors…before annihilating the vehicle in a column of flames and shrapnel.

'Thank you, soldier. Resume your firing,' Reis said quickly, leaving the artillery troops there, stunned at her efficiency.

'The Galbadians are running out of reinforcements,' Laguna said, rubbing his hands together.

_Is that due to you happiness of hearing that news? Or is it because of the cold?_

'By fifteen hundred hours we shall be able to storm the city,'

_And that's…a good thing?_

'Sounds…good,' Reis muttered stiffly.

'Aye, it is,' he said, standing proudly as he observed another group of soldiers reach for the heavens as they soared through the air, before landing face first into the dirt.

At three in the afternoon…

'Hold fire!' Laguna yelled into the loudspeaker. The field was a barren wasteland of craters and dead bodies; both Estharian and Galbadian. Not one Galbadian soldier remained with even the slightest trace of life in them.

'March! Towards Deling City! Tonight we shall destroy the evil that corrupts this world!'

The columns of soldiers picked up their rifles, marching steadily in a uniform line towards the waiting city. Treading on the faces and bodies of the dead, they showed no remorse or pity in their faces; blank, inexpressive, and…strangely similar. Each wore an expression of blank obedience in their faces; Reis wondered if they were even alive. Nevertheless, Deling City drew ever closer…


	30. Night of Salvation

The sky overhead split in moments of bright flashes, followed by ominous rumblings of the heavens. Underneath, the columns of the Estharian army marched onwards, through the bloody plains, filled with craters and holes, followed by their thousands of vehicles. Deling City loomed on the horizon, a black shape against a velvet sky, lit by floodlights and ringing with periodic blasts from their few artillery units.

Reis ducked as a howitzer shell flew over, exploding barely ten metres behind her, causing several soldiers to fly into the air, screaming, flailing their arms and legs hopelessly before biting into the dust with a sickening _crack_. A few sneezes she could hear, even with the anti-aircraft gunnery striking down Estharian war aircraft, a clear indication of how weary some of the soldiers were.

'Move on!' Reis yelled, 'If you men don't run forwards, we'll all be shot dead before we get there! Now move out!'

'Yes ma'am,' the group chorused, monotonous, picking up their paces and dodging bullets as they sprinted for the nearest cover—the cliff overhang where the railway tunnel used to pass. Now it had been blocked—artillery shots had riddled the structure with critical damages, until it collapsed under its own weight. There was no doubt that this was fortunate for Galbadia; had the tunnel not collapsed the city would have fallen sooner.

'Sneak up the cliffs, single file! Do not allow the enemy to distract you!' Reis shouted out to the men, grasping a rock and beginning to ascend the cliff face. Before long, she realised that she had _wings _to fly with. _How stupid am I? I'll just fly to the top…_

Ignoring the jealous cries of the soldiers following beneath her, Reis leaped from the cliff, black-leathered wings bursting forth from the creamy skin on her shoulders. Soaring gracefully to the top of the cliff, she drew out both her blades.

A welcoming party was there for her. Opening fire with their machine guns in one last, desperate attempt to hold the city, the Galbadian troops stationed outside concentrated all their fire on Reis…to no avail. The dragoner simply held up her hand, generating vast amounts of electrical energy within her palms. Bullets curved upwards as the force field attracted the metal projectiles, forming a solid, black ball of steel, which she hurled at the nearest machine-gunner, decapitating him with a well-aimed pitch. He staggered around, headless, before collapsing to the ground, his shocked face twelve feet away from his body; his legs and arms twitched for a few seconds, before lying still, lifeless.

'You…cowards…you dare to attack a woman, a single woman, in a group? Soldiers you may be—where is your code of chivalry! I will remind you of the oaths you have taken when you have enlisted!' she roared, the blue in her eyes turning into frozen ice as she ripped her way through six torsos in a single sweep of her razor-sharp blade.

Up went the blade, tearing flesh and bone into two halves of a once-human body; through flesh and metal the other one did go; shredding limbs and hearts as Reis rampaged in the mass of soldiers. One by one they fell, mutilated, bloody, dying with terrible fear in their eyes; stabbing her katana through the last soldier with a spray of warm, crimson liquid, Reis kicked aside the corpse. The Estharian soldiers had just completed their arduous ascent to the top of the rugged cliffs; now they were faced with a greater challenge.

The Galbadians had created a system of trenches outside the city; in the rapidly-enshrouding darkness it was impossible to see any obstacles that were placed in the way. Many Estharians died of the dreaded razor wire; entangled, they wrestled the deadly barbs, driving them deeper into their own flesh, before falling limp, drained of blood, punctured by the sharp steel spikes.

'Halt! Wait for the artillery units to come! I will go ahead…alone,' Reis said to the commander of the column, who nodded in affirmation. Flapping her wings, she leaped over the trenches, weaving through the anti-aircraft lines of fire. Landing with a soft _tap _on the far side of the trench system, she hid behind a large cannon.

'We'll fall today, Lieutenant Wedge, shouldn't we surrender to them now?' she heard a man say, his voice quavering, high pitched. _Fear is clearly taking hold here…_

'You…say what? Treachery! Treason! Execute him right away!' the other man roared, followed by several pleas of help from the other man before he was shot by five men, 'We shall fight on to the death!'

_They're desperate…can they not see the light?_

Slinking under the large barrel of the cannon, Reis softly kicked in a ventilation duct inside a large pipe. Squeezing in, she was thankful that she was so slim. Her breasts slid rather uncomfortably against the greasy inside of the pipe, and she had very little room to move about. Creeping along, she listened every now and then to whatever was going on outside; mostly it was the gentle dripping of water, and the squeaking of rats; at one point she had to spit out a cockroach as it crawled into her mouth. Squashing the vermin in disgust, she crawled onwards, gritting her teeth. At last, she could see some bright lighting…

Pushing out the vent grille, Reis quickly clambered out, pressing herself flat against a shadowed wall as a Galbadian military halftrack rumbled past. Observing the landmarks around her, she could tell that she was in the central monument. _I remember this place…the place where I fought with that senator…the place where I thought I'd die. However, I must move on…_

Peeking out the side, she spotted a lone Galbadian soldier bearing a large pack walking underneath the far end of the gate. _Perhaps I could use a disguise…_

As he jogged past her, Reis grabbed the man from behind, tossing him backwards in a reverse suplex before grabbing him by the neck, at which point she slammed him into the wall.

'Mercy please, tough madam,' the soldier whimpered, clasping his hands together, blood running down his face.

'I will indeed. Stay inside this building and I will spare your life. Oh, and give me your uniform too,' Reis muttered into his face, glaring straight into his eyes, her nose rubbing against his.

Reluctantly, the soldier removed his blue woolen trousers and top, as well as the steel chest plate. Taking these, Reis pushed him into the gatehouse, where she locked him up with a magical seal. Leaving him to beat against the door in fury, she put on the clothes over her own armour. It wasn't ideal—her golden sheets of hair still descended to her knees, and her katanas were nearly a dead give-away, but at least it should provide some blending with the other Galbadian soldiers.

Running towards the presidential palace, she encountered some Galbadian soldiers.

_Oh shit. They're going to recognise me as an enemy…_

'Hey, who's there? Wow…I never knew the army recruited females, since when did they do it?' the leader said, wolf-whistling softly.

'Umm, a few months ago…' Reis lied. _I don't really know, maybe they never did…_

'Oh well, I'll believe whatever you say. Want to have some fun, baby? Before we all die at the hands of the Estharian bitches?' he said, tickling her chin with one callused finger.

'No thank you,' Reis replied, her tone icy. Her left hand rested on a katana handle.

The leader looked at her hand position, then towards her chest area, then to her face, and then ran off with the rest of his squad. _For once, they're smart enough to leave me alone… _Reis thought, sighing in relief.

_Back to the main target…the senator. I will prevent as much blood loss as possible…_

Squeezing through the bars of the gate, Reis crept around the walls of the large building. Artillery shells were beginning to rain down onto the city itself, several landing in the central monument and blasting large chunks of sandstone from the façade, blocking the road underneath with mounds of rubble.

_I must hurry…Estharian losses may mount again if they meet the main force stationed inside the city…_

Leaping onto the second floor of the presidential palace, she kicked open the gate inside.

There was Edea, in all her regal glory, dressed in robes of gold thread and diamond edging, holding a staff of whitest ivory, capped with the largest cockatrice skull that Reis had ever seen.

'Ah…it's you again, the fool that challenged me during the festival,' Edea lisped, advancing slowly towards Reis, her ivory staff landing in ringing thuds on the marble floor, 'Though this city is devastated, I will not perish. Even if this body may be destroyed in the end, it will mean nothing. I will rise again through a different host,'

_A different host…does she mean…? Oh my God…she's possessed. I must not kill her if I can help it. Somehow I must strive to expel whatever is within her body, controlling her from within._

'Prepare yourself,' Edea muttered, raising her staff, taking slow steps towards Reis, 'You will die today. No more mercy I will show to you,'

'It is you that must perish,' Reis retorted, grasping her katana handles, 'You are the evil that brings suffering to this world,'

She laughed.

'What little do you know…Through control of the world, I will gain complete command of the people. Through command of the people, I can control what they do. Through controlling what they do, I can prevent all evil; you see, I am merely 'uniting' the people in one common cause of 'peace' and 'prosperity'. Speak for yourself, stranger; for you have no idea of what is going on in this world,'

_Indeed…I have no clue as to the politics of this world…but I am still able to discern evil from good, and truth from untruth…_

'Perish upon my blade! Heaven's wish to destroy all minds…Holy Explosion!' Reis roared, aiming her right katana towards the black mage. She recoiled as a bright beam of light descended upon her head, searing it with light energy, burning away the darkness that shrouds her mind. Clutching her head with one hand, she aimed the large staff with one unsteady hand.

'Cover in rock and turn flesh to stone! Break!'

Rolling behind a pillar, Reis observed the pulse of energy strike the torch hanging off the bracket behind where she was a moment ago; crystallizing to solid chalk, it crumbled to dust. Dashing towards the mage, Reis held her blade aloft, her voice reverberating in the marble hall as she brought down the katana onto the mage's defending staff.

Splinters of ivory scattered across the room as the force of the strike split the staff in two; discarding the useless lower half, Edea glared at the dragoner.

'Time and space…distort and envelop a foe of all! Demi3!'

Pillars on either side of Reis crumbled to powder as she felt herself being torn apart by the powerful pull of the gravity vortex. Emitting a piercing scream, the dragoner thrashed in pain as the gravity attempted to pull her limbs apart. Falling down to the floor on all fours as the distortion subsided, the dragoner struggled to her feet, her vision blurred as the pain slashed at her mind.

'Feel the power of the dark queen!' Edea cackled, in a grotesque, maniacal manner, 'You will die today as a tribute to her ultimate power!'

_Beowulf…I'm sorry if I failed you…So pitiful of me to die like this…_

_NO! You must keep fighting on, Reis Dular! On your warrior's honour, place your duty before your life!_

'Die!' Reis shouted, as she delivered a blow with all her might onto her unsuspecting opponent. A cry of pain rent the air; the dragoner had severed both of the senator's hands. The katana buried itself into the marble floor, and both women lay sprawled out on the floor, gasping for breath.

'Ultimecia…lend me strength…' Edea hissed, grasping at the air for something that wasn't there. _She must be hallucinating…_

Struggling to her feet, Reis drew out her other katana. Steadying it with both her hands, she stood over the senator, the point above her chest.

'REIS! NO!' she heard a familiar voice shout.

'Quistis?'

'Don't kill Edea!'

'And why not?'

'Principal Cid is here to take care of her…please, don't kill her. He will explain later,'

'It's your responsibility if she becomes dangerous again, you do know that…' Reis muttered, slumping against the stump of a pillar.

Sure enough, Cid came running up the staircase behind Edea; the artillery bombardment had ceased. Curiously, Cid descended down to Edea, weeping as he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

_What's going on? Am I hallucinating too?_

'Quistis…What's going on?' Reis asked her slowly, uncertain of what was happening as Cid continued.

She scratched her head, 'Kind of hard to explain. You see, Cid and Edea…they were married…at least, before she was possessed by Ultimecia. Cid seeks to break the possession by doing this,'

'But why…? Why would he order the assassination of her in the first place?'

'That I do not know either. Perhaps it was an idea from a student, a way that they could reach the top of the See-D profession just by doing one job,'

'Ugh…Cid? My husband…? No…don't…Argh, you're just a fool…no…he's my husband…let go of me, you fool,' Edea wailed. Conflicting expressions flitted across her face in quick succession; the half that was truly her was beginning to be exposed. Writhing on the floor as though in pain, she resumed this for a few minutes, gradually remembering more…until…

A black wisp rose out of her body, gathering to a single ghastly shape hovering above the agonised woman. Seeing her chance, Reis held out her hand.

_Anima mors, mora iter caelum! Anima mortis, spiritus infirmo! Cognito Dei! Dei magnus!_

The black shape was drawn to her hand in forces unknown; collecting in the middle of her palm, it solidified to form a single, black, sparkling crystal. Throwing it up into the air, she incinerated the soul to nothingness with a well-placed mini-flare.

'Lady…I am very sorry…' Reis said, kneeling next to the heavily wounded woman. Her breathing was heavy now; the loss of blood from her severed hands had stripped her of quite a lot of vitality.

_You must make amends for the evils you have done…_

'You're right,' Reis whispered to herself. Running down the stairs, she grabbed a narrow glass vase from the wall. Checking the inside, Reis gave a sigh of relief; it was nearly the same shape as a potion vial. Climbing up the stairs again, she unsheathed a silver dagger from her belt. Placing the vase on a pillar stump, she slashed herself on the wrist, stifling a cry of pain. Blood spurted into the vase, dying down to a trickle as she stemmed the flow with a fragment of torn cloth.

_Blood of the dragon…a potent healing ingredient…_

'Are you insane, Reis?' Quistis asked incredulously, steadying the dragoner.

'No, I'm quite sane,' Reis replied, panting, 'Give me some gold dust and a large diamond,'

Quistis didn't move; she stood there like a statue. Furious, Reis stood up and picked a large diamond from the edge of Edea's dress, and cut some gold thread from the hem of the dress. Crushing the diamond in her hand, she put the powder into the vase. Shaking it vigorously, she remembered some text from a clerical book on healing during her days of study in Lionel…

_Diamonds…the essence of holiness and consecration…_

Grasping a chunk of her own hair that spilled over the front of her shoulders, Reis trimmed off the tip of the golden mass. Forcing this down the vase, she mixed it again; the odd mixture emitted a cloud of red gas, causing Reis to cough in surprise as the smoke rushed up her nose.

_Part of a dragon…a most potent ingredient…_

Finally, reducing the gold cloth to powder with a bit of magic, she poured it down the smoking mix. A final puff of silver smoke, and it simply bubbled sluggishly.

_Gold…a noble metal capable of binding magical components together…_

'Drink this, noble lady,' Reis whispered to Edea, tipping the liquid down the wounded woman's throat. She stopped her laboured breathing, and rested at ease against Cid's chest. The stumps of her hands appeared to mend almost instantaneously, a sheet of skin forming over the top of the red exposed flesh.

'Thank…you…' Edea gasped, before falling into a deep sleep.

'Look after yourself, Reis,' Cid said, picking up his wife gently, 'Take care of that wound,'

'Oh, this? This would heal in about two days or so, it's no big deal for me,' Reis said, sheathing her dagger and katana, 'Your wife shall regain her hands before the next full moon,'

'Thank you very much, I do not know what to say…here, at least have this before you go,' Cid said, rummaging in his pockets.

He handed Reis a large, golden feather, light as air but heavy as a brick of lead. Wondering what it is, Reis placed it on a pillar stump as she threw off the Galbadian soldier's uniform. Tucking the feather into a pocket on her dress, she felt herself floating…her vision faded away to darkness and she remembered no more.

**A/N END OF ACT 2!**


	31. ACT 3: Eternal Sin: Forsaken Faith

Reis stumbled back into the musty interiors of the small workshop that she knew very well. Crashing with a loud bang onto a number of crates as she attempted to regain her balance from the violent spinning of her rapid materialization, she noticed that Mustadio was not in the workshop. Raising one eyebrow, she crept up the stairs, silent as a stalking cat, her eyes fixed upon the door. _There must be something going on…Mustadio wouldn't leave his tools for a single day…_

Opening the door swiftly, she was greeted by a sudden downward slash from a bright, shining sword. Reis recoiled as the blade slashed down her face and injured wrist, the blood from her face and hand spattering the linoleum floor with numerous crimson dots. Peering through the haze of red as the blood clouded her eyesight, she discovered the contrite face of Agrias peering right in front of her. She could tell that Agrias was desperately mopping up as much blood with a sheet of linen, grasping her wrist delicately as the Holy Knight dabbed at the reopened wound. _Agrias…why can't you discern enemies from friends? I've just arrived…_

'Oh my God…I'm very sorry, Reis, I thought you were an invading spy or something. Please forgive me for my uncivilised actions,' Agrias said quickly, finishing up her cleaning of Reis as the dragoner pushed aside her hand, 'Goug is under siege and anything can happen,'

'It's alright, Agrias,' Reis said gruffly, disgruntled, 'Just watch out about who you hit next time. If you were an enemy you wouldn't live to see another day,'

'Neither would you, if you were an enemy,' Agrias commented, grinning. Her friendly face faltered as she saw Reis' grim face, 'What's happened?'

'You said Goug is under siege,' Reis muttered darkly, 'I have disposed of Delita, who else is left to command an army?'

'The church of Lionel commands the armies of Ivalice. They have declared a holy war on Goug, on false charges of mass heresy. Now we're all heretics here,'

'Curse them. I will go and attempt…forced diplomacy on their ignorant minds,' Reis said, attempting to lift herself to her feet using her slashed hand. The throbbing pain in her hand escalated to a burning agony, prompting Reis to sit back down again, which she quickly did, writhing where she sat in pain while Agrias watched in horror.

'Argh…my hand…it hurts…' Reis hissed, cradling the bleeding hand with the other, healthy hand. Blood trickled down her arm, flowing down the white skin of her arm.

'Hold on, I will quickly get a priest to heal you,' Agrias whispered in her ear, before dashing out the front door into the bright sunlight outside. _The sooner she comes, the better. I can resist much pain…but this wound that I have inflicted upon myself earlier…why does it affect me more than other injuries that I have sustained through the actions of others before?_

The red fluid continued to seep down the length of her arm, finally dripping onto the floor. _Where is Mustadio? Has he left to defend Goug as well?_

'Reis, hold on!' Agrias shouted from the doorway, bursting into the small house with a short, dwarf-like priest following behind, huffing and puffing as he ran on his tiny little legs with Agrias. _That's not fair for him, Agrias is tall and he's short; she's fast and he's slow…_

The priest began to examine her wounds; they were rather deep, as he discovered when he wiped off the pooling blood over the slash in her wrist; the cut on her face was not as deep, but it marred her pristinely beautiful visage with one grisly scar across her cheek. With a number of assorted healing spells, he only managed to just close the wound; an angry red scar still remained behind, threatening to open at any moment.

'Thanks,' Reis mumbled, as the priest ran a glittering golden staff down the wound on her cheek while muttering an incantation. He did not seem to hear her words; yawning, he stepped out of the house, before disappearing into thin air with a flourish of his feather cloak.

'I'm sorry,' Agrias repeated again, twiddling her thumbs, 'I didn't mean to hurt you that badly,'

'For the last time, Agrias, it's alright. I will heal in a couple of days, it's only a light wound,' Reis breathed, exasperated. _Sometimes the Holy Knight's truthfulness and pure words can be annoying…_

Standing up, Reis strode to the nearest couch, where she lay down to rest for a bit. Curling a chunk of hair around her finger as she stared into the yellowing ceiling, she began to think… _What happened to Mustadio? He should be here anytime soon. He hasn't been…captured by the enemy, has he? That mechanic is the closest thing I have to a family, together with Agrias and perhaps Orlandu. They've been with me since I've been rescued from Goland…I can't bear to lose any of them…_

Letting the curled hair straighten upon her cheek, Reis shut her eyes for a little nap. Turning over to face the side of the couch, she felt Agrias sitting down near her feet.

'So how was your last trip?' Agrias asked, 'Good?'

'It wasn't too bad…although I nearly died fighting a possessed sorceress and suffered excruciating pain through reading a cursed book. Overall, I did get pretty badly injured during that time…but why can't I take just a small cut into my wrist?'

'Reis, I hate to tell you the truth, but…it's not a small cut. The gash…extends right down to the bones of your hand. I saw some pure white at the base of the cut…'

_A deep cut…? She classifies that as deep…?_

'It's not deep, I've had worse. Like getting slashed halfway into the bone with a large sword,'

'Don't act tough, Reis…You need all the care you can get right now. Take a look at yourself, you're a mess. Tired, worn, injured. The worst combination you can have…take a rest,'

Agrias held a circular disk of polished silver in front of Reis; staring into it, the dragoner could not believe what she saw. Her once-thick, golden hair had now degraded into a disorderly tangle of whitish-yellow series of strands. There were faded lines on the contours of her blemish-free face; some pink, sunburned skin was exposed around her neck. Pushing the mirror back in distaste, Reis began to wonder…had all her beauty been given only to be squandered by years of living?

_If so…there would be little point of existence…_

'Let us pray to God,' Agrias said abruptly as the cuckoo clock on the wall of the workshop sounded once. Standing up, she left the house, shutting the door carefully. Reis followed her, running through the main street to meet again with Agrias. Less than halfway up the street she slowed down to a steady walk, alongside the female knight.

Entering the small, darkened hall of the church, they knelt down in front of the altar. Rays of light filtered in from the stained glass window depicting God, up high in his heavenly seat, governing all events that happened in Ivalice, while the false saint, Ajora, sat on His right, assisting Him. Staring up at the vividly-coloured glass screen, Reis began to wish that no wars had ever happened. _If there were not a single war…if there were no bloodshed…no violence…we would all live in harmony, wouldn't we? Why are there wars? Are they necessary? Is violence really needed?_

Noticing that people were starting to file into the church and sitting down upon the ornately-carved pews, Reis and Agrias left the church, the bishop of Goug having reached the altar as they exited the oaken double doors.

'It is a pity…how the church of Lionel had declared a holy war upon Goug. The people here are god-fearing, religious beings with souls, not animals to be hunted down,' Agrias whispered softly to herself, gazing into the endless depths of the sky.

'Yes, I know,' Reis added, leaning against a narrow window on the side of the church, 'Listen to this…they're talking about something other than religion…'

Agrias hurried over to the window, placing her ear against the glass.

'My dear brothers and sisters,' they heard the priest say, 'It is a pity that the church of Glabados has excommunicated us, forsaken our salvation. In the light of recent events, I would like to…surrender my position as a bishop of Glabados. Good day to you all, and may Ajora bless you. I will go into exile for the rest of my days, to purify my soul, and hope that God will forgive my trespasses. I suggest that you all do the same,'

'I don't believe what I'm hearing,' Agrias said hoarsely, 'A priest, surrendering his position? Encouraging people to deport themselves?'

'Neither have I. But quiet once again, there's more…'

A large, white miter slammed against the glass window where Reis and Agrias were, causing them both to take a step backward in surprise.

'Now that I have given up on this church, feel free to do with it as you please. There is no more godly mercy upon Goug, as Lionel has excommunicated us. Peace to all of you!'

The oaken doors opened once more, and an unrobed priest without a holy cap emerged from the indistinct mumblings inside the church, followed by a crowd of civilians, who returned to their homes. Agrias slumped down against the stone wall of the church, and sobbed loudly as she pounded the ground with her fists.

'Agrias, what's wrong?' Reis asked, alarmed.

'You would never understand…I've spent years with the church. Months I've served it, trained to defend it, and done other religious duties that others would never take. It's such…a shock, to see a core member of the church depart just like that. And it's all the worse that the church had excommunicated an entire town on reasons we will never know. It nearly appears to me…as a betrayal. What's happened to the faith I've held on to for my entire life? What's happened to the tolerance and peace that we were told to embrace? All that I see now is that the church had just contradicted all its basic laws, declaring war upon all the civilians of a town, child, man, woman, and all,' Agrias sobbed into her hands, tears flowing down her hands.

_It must be hard…seeing something that you've once trusted throw away its ideals in place of reasoning beyond your comprehension._

'Come, let's get back to Musty's home…' Reis said, pulling the crying knight to her feet and slowly hauling her back to the workshop. Inside was Mustadio, muddy and disheveled, blood seeping down from a cut on his forehead, lying on the couch with a hand over his eyes.

'What happened to you, Mustadio?' Agrias asked him, wiping a tear out of her eye, 'You look worse for wear than ever,'

'Just some accidents in training the locals,' he answered, groaning as he stood up, 'The ground gave way in the marshes,'

'That would be nasty…here, let me help you,' Reis said, letting go of Agrias and steadying Mustadio, 'Take it easy,'

'You take it easy, Reis, you haven't had any rest over the past few days, and rest that hand; it looks awful,'

She looked down at the wound on her wrist; sure enough, it was open once again. Blood slowly trickled out of the cut, to be absorbed by the linen of her dress. Sighing, the dragoner simply mopped it up with the lining of her sleeve.

'Any other news?'

'Yes…for some reason or another, the new High Priest wishes to see you. He's called off the invasion for now, but who knows what he wants with you…maybe it's safer for you to take your weapons along, he's not allowing anyone else to come with you if you ever decide to come,'

'I will do exactly that. You know that I'm never without a weapon these days, with my…Beowulf gone,'

Mustadio led Reis silently through the system of trenches that the townsfolk had created around the hill that Goug was built on; stopping at the furthermost observation post, he pointed towards a camp in the distance. Untying a chocobo from its post, he bowed Reis goodbye.

'See you later, Reis,'

'Farewell,'

She nudged the chocobo's ribs, causing the bird to dash forward with a loud squawk. Goug became smaller and smaller as she traveled further away…until she arrived at the encampment on the far side of the plain.

'Halt! Who goes there,' a white-caped knight shouted, barring the entrance with his sword.

'A person that the High Priest requested for,' Reis said, dismounting the chocobo.

'Identify yourself,' the knight asked her, eyeing her suspiciously.

'Reis Dular, a holy dragoner. Born on year 1457 in the year of our lord Glabados,'

'You may proceed, madam. The High Priest is waiting for you within the largest tent in here,'

She trudged carefully through the worn dirt inside the encampment. Reis knew that she was alone, in possibly hostile territory. Being compliant would be the most intelligent thing to do right now. Opening the tent door, she found a number of silver-plated knights inside, caped in scarlet. Each remained still as a statue as she walked down the red-carpeted middle towards the High Priest. Not one face she could see of the knights; all had their visors down as they stood guard. Bowing down in front of the High Priest, she lifted her head and spoke in a most gracious tone that she could muster.

'What is it that your worship commands your humble servant to do?'

'Ah…Reis Dular, I take it? Welcome to my encampment, I hope that you find it most pleasing here,'

'Not at all, if I may be frank,'

_Shit. Why did I have to say that?_

'It is indeed rather plain to my liking. However, I have requested your appearance here for a definite reason,'

_And what is that reason…?_

'I do know that you—and all the people in Goug—have been branded as heretics. Outcasts of the church, if I may say so. However, I will give you and the people of Goug a chance to repent. Be my wife, and I will pardon your sins with a fraction of Ajora's grace,'

_Dirty bastard. Son of a bitch. He dares ask that of me?_

'Pardon me, your honor, but I am currently engaged to one Beowulf Kadmus. It is unethical for me to leave him so, even by church regulations,'

'That can be easily arranged for…he shall be ousted from your life soon…'

_He's so ignorant…Beowulf's already in the afterlife…_

'Enough of this talk, will you be my wife? Or shall I force you to be mine? Like this person here behind me…'

He tugged at a chain, dragging forward a woman with flowing, dark blonde hair over her bare shoulders, whip marks marring her once-beautiful face. Thin as a starved dog, the woman collapsed piteously onto the floor, breathing slowly and weakly. Smiling as he tickled her bony chin, the High Priest looked on calmly at Reis' enraged face.

'You will be my wife, if you like it or not,'

'And if I choose to resist?' Reis shouted, laying her right hand on her katana. Two knights on either side of her drew their swords, ready for battle.

'You will either be my wife—or you shall be nobody else's. You will live with me—or no record of you ever living will be in history. Choose wisely, fair one,'

_Dirty bum…you're not going to get that out of me!_

Reis quickly made a grabbing motion towards the knight on her left, raising him up into the air easily with magic. Throwing the mass of metal and flesh towards the knight on her right with a sweep of her hand, she drew out her katana with the other.

'Nobody forces me to do anything…not even you, High Priest. My holy origins bar me from killing you as yet, as I would do with most other people…leave me alone now or suffer the consequences,'

'Risk unforgivable sins you will if you murder me,' the High Priest hissed, pointing his staff towards a large painting of hell on his left, 'You shall face the fiery furnaces of the underworld should you decide to lay one hand upon my divine self,'

'Your divinity I question myself,' Reis mocked casually, as she cleaved three knights' heads off with a sweep of her katana.

'I have had enough of your blasphemous comments! I will show you the true power of faith!'

Raising his staff, the High Priest slammed the wooden rod into Reis' back, causing the dragoner to stumble forward slightly, albeit enraged at the cowardly attack. Slashing off the staff's head with her other katana, she sheathed them both.

'I will end your pain…without blood. I will not spill blood from a holy one,'

'Foolish child, you shall suffer the pain of my staff,' the High Priest roared, striking Reis' uncovered left fist with his rod. Unfazed, Reis struck the staff to splinters with her right hand, the fire of malice burning within her blue eyes. Grabbing the holy man by the neck, she slammed him into the tent's support post, throttling him slightly in fury.

'It seems like you're the first to go to hell this day…heretic priest,' Reis spat, jerking her knee up in between the legs of his robes. The priest curled up in pain, grasping his family jewel. Reis then grabbed his face, pulling it up to in front of her nose.

'You're the one…to go to hell…you bitch of a she-devil,'

'Say that again after this, bastard,'

She threw him to a corner of the room, into a pile of crates, which collapsed around him. Making another grasping motion, she levitated him into the air. Although she didn't physically hold him, the man grasped at thin air around his neck, trying to pull off whatever was constricting his visibly-shrinking windpipe. At last, with a shudder and a final thrash, the priest lay still in the air as Reis broke his neck with a powerful blast of magical force from her fingertips. Letting him drop to the hard ground, Reis destroyed the chains binding the starved woman with a single strike from her hand, setting her free. Smelling her long sheets of hair, Reis recognised the woman as a dragoner.

_No wonder she resembled me in a way. She's a dragoner, just like me. No human would have that scent of lily-of-the-valley if they haven't sprayed on some fragrance._

'You're a dragoner. I thought the church executed all of us,'

'Apparently not, my rescuer...my mistress...my saviour...' the woman gasped, clinging on weakly to Reis' leg. Smiling kindly at the weeping woman, she hoisted the stranger onto her shoulders. Wings burst forth from the holy dragoner's back, before she took off into a flight towards away silently on her fingers of how many soldiers she killed as she flew towards Goug, she began to remember the war on Galbadia…

_Those poor soldiers stood no chance against Esthar. Outnumbered, outgunned, the obsolete facing a superiorly equipped force. Is this about to be repeated? Is Goug going to face the same fate? I'm sorry, Mustadio…I have gone with my honour, instead of the salvation of your people…I must make amends later._


	32. Cursed Bloodline

'You look like you're in need of a lot of care,' Reis said to the other dragoner, who simply nodded in exhaustion.

Goug loomed in the horizon, less than a mile away. Reis thought she could see Mustadio waiting for her on the same observation post. Landing gracefully and shrinking down her wings to nothing, Reis carefully walked towards the city with the other woman on her back, silencing Mustadio's questioning look with a hard stare.

Easing the woman down onto a seat in the workshop, Reis began to examine the woman's injuries. There were countless bruises; some turning purple, and others still black; her eyes were bloodshot and nearly closed in lack of energy. Removing the woman's tattered, ragged woolen dress, she saw more horrific wounds beneath. There were hundreds of scar marks; welts that could have only been dealt with a whip strewn all over the reddened skin. Mustadio could no longer bear to watch; he simply left the room in disgust at what had been done to the other dragoner. Draping a towel around the stranger's badly broken body, she removed her equally-destroyed linen skirt…to see yet more ravages upon the poor soul's form. Both her heels had been broken because of the heavy shackles that the evil High Priest had forcibly placed upon her; her legs were covered in tell-tale marks of torture: whip-welts and bruises. To add insult to injury, the woman had obviously been starved half to death.

'You've been through a lot,' Reis whispered, taking a glass and filling it with water, pushing it to the grateful dragoner, who drained the drinking vessel in one gulp, 'Tell me, what's your name?'

'My identity doesn't matter…I've lost a sister for nearly fourteen years now. I've searched all through Ivalice for her, without any shred of evidence of her death nor any sign of her alive. Still, I am grateful for your hospitality. I will leave tonight…to search again for my sister. I will find her, no matter how long it takes me, for she is the only true relative that I have…'

_This…roughly corresponds with my time as a dragon…and a bit more, I guess. Does she mean me?_

'Tell me, have you seen a person by the name of Reis Dular? She's my sister; please tell me if you have,'

_She's standing right here, sister…I'm so glad to be able to see you again after these long years!_

'There's something I'd like to tell you,' Reis started, tears flowing down her creamy cheeks as she hugged Katherine tightly in a bone-crushing embrace, 'I am your sister,'

'No wonder you looked familiar when I saw you in the tent,' she gasped, pushing Reis feebly away, labouring for breath, 'I couldn't think of any way that someone could resemble her so much. Oh, thank God that we're united once more…I couldn't stand living without you. I searched every possible location for you, day and night…and now my efforts have paid off. I…I'm content now. Please, sister, let me rest,'

'Certainly, Kat,'

Walking away from her infirm sister, Reis was immediately pulled into a side room by Mustadio.

'Is what she's said really true?' Mustadio asked Reis urgently, 'Are you really her sister?'

'Indeed, it is true. I can tell, by her scent and her hair. She's always had hair like mine, sheets of blonde…but hers had always been tinged with a tiny bit of red, so that it turns more orange than gold. In other words, she is really my sister,' Reis said, indicating the reddish-blonde overspill from Katherine's head.

'By…scent? Like a dog would identify another creature?' Mustadio queried, raising an eyebrow as he took one small step away, 'Are you certain, Reis? You look like a perfect human being to me, but not quite a hound,'

'Positive. I've always had a keen sense of smell…and everything,'

'I'll go fetch supper. The sun is nearly set, I'll get four meals ready. Agrias is returning soon, she's just been killing wild chocobos for meat,'

'I'll wash my sister, then. She's in dire need of a wash, God knows how long it has been since that evil High Priest gave her proper care…'

'Speaking of the High Priest, what did he want with you?'

Reis stared down at the floor. Killing the High Priest was obviously…not a good thing to do. Especially in front of a roomful of eyewitnesses.

'I…He demanded that I be his…concubine…or slave…sex slave, for that matter. I think he was simply trying to tame my sister before he tried that. Of course, I declined, however his advances simply caused me to reflexively take hold of my sword. His guards attacked me, and I was compelled to rid them of their lives. Then the High Priest himself attempted to beat me senseless with his staff; of course, he failed that, or I wouldn't be here. I was forced to kill him, for I had no other choice. Reason failed him, I think,'

Mustadio looked down at his feet.

_Clearly this isn't a good sign…_

'I'll keep this away from Agrias…she will despise you to your grave if she heard of this event. And the repercussions…I wouldn't like to think of it. Reis, you've better got a good plan to stave off both the Hokuten and the Nanten, as well as the Holy Knights of Lionel…with only three hundred gunmen and two hundred arbalests at your command, I do not think we will survive…'

_Damn, those three factions are already here?_

'I think I should be able to decimate them myself,' Reis declared assuringly.

'I should certainly hope so,' Mustadio muttered darkly, pulling out a kitchen knife, a chopping board, a pot, and several potatoes. Peeling them, he mumbled darkly about failing defenses and responsibilities, while Reis guided her sister to the bathroom, where she carefully helped her sit down on the wooden stool. Dragging over a tub of hot, steaming water, a smaller tub of warm water and a bar of soap, she began by splashing her sister with the warm water, causing her to sigh in relief.

'It's been nearly a month since that…bastard…of a High Priest ill-treated me,' Katherine said, crossing her arms on her lap as Reis poured some more warm water around her shoulders, 'He gave me little food and drink, and made me do piles of scribe work for him, twelve hours daily, without breaks. Oh, curse the dog to hell, those were the worst days of my life,'

_Indeed it is…and it's a wonder that you've survived one month, sister Kat, that's some torture that you've had…_

'At least you're safe now,' Reis assured her, nuzzling her sister's strawberry blonde hair with her nose, rubbing her nearly inexistent stomach.

_She's so thin now…_

'Yes, that's also true…and when I didn't have any work, or I couldn't keep up with his dictation, he would whip me and beat me with his staff…and on Sundays, he would allow his goons to do as they please with me…not to mention some rather disturbing, chaotic events that they did every now and then,'

_I can imagine her pain…_

Rubbing the soap liberally over her sister's bruised back, Reis began to wonder…who had really suffered more here? Had she really led the most miserable life than anyone? She'd never considered anyone else's life before…

'Relax in the bathtub, dear sister, I'll be with you in a moment,' Reis said, gently guiding her sister to the stone structure, after which she tipped in the tubful of boiling water. Warm enough to be comfortable, Katherine slid into the bath, feeling her worries go as the water lapped around her rather highlighted curves.

Reis jumped in several moments later, having taken off her clothing. Sitting next to her sister, she placed a hand on her thin arm.

'Take care of yourself, sister,' Reis said, 'I don't want to see you suffer like this,'

'I will, Reis,'

She embraced Reis with both hands, and placing her lips upon Reis' own, she kissed her passionately. Letting go a moment later, she sunk lower into the bath.

'I'm sorry if I've offended you, Reis,' she said, seeing Reis blush deep pink, 'It's just…something that we used to do when you were young,'

'It's…alright, sister,' Reis stuttered, feeling her cheeks burn with emotions. Really, she didn't mind that much…a little bit of love did go well with her, for absence makes the heart ever fonder, and this was so with Reis. She hadn't spoken to her sister for years; she hadn't even met her for years. It was like…seeing someone come out of a grave, fully alive and well.

_Coming out of a grave…_

_If only Beowulf could do that…_

_Oh, I miss him so much…I wonder what he's doing now…_

Rubbing her sister's back one last time, she rose out of the water; stepping out of the bathtub and wrapping herself in a towel, Reis walked out of the room, to look for a suitable dress for both her sister and herself.

_I couldn't possibly give that for her again to wear, can I? _She thought, holding up her sister's tattered and worn dress by one hand, opening a bin with the other. Placing the dress squarely in the middle of the rubbish, she closed the bin with a slam of finality. Striding into the room that Mustadio had prepared for her, she examined the contents of the dress closet. Inside were four dresses, all silken white; sliding her long, smooth legs into a skirt, she pulled out two dresses from the closet.

_Thank goodness that this fits…_

Walking slowly back to the bathtub, she met Agrias, who had returned from killing the chocobos for meat; bloodstained, with hunks of meat dangling from her shoulders, she looked extremely grotesque, even for one that Reis had often seen in a battlefield, shredding enemy troops without mercy. Reis waved to Agrias in a greeting, to be answered back by an affirmative nod. Into the bathroom the dragoner went, to give the other dress to her sister.

_Wow, aren't I lucky…she fits as well, though rather snugly. All her curves show through…a little too much for her own good._

'Magnificent, Kat, you look wonderful,' Reis squealed, clapping her hands together, smiling falsely; she wanted to bring up her sister's obviously destroyed self-image.

_Who wouldn't be…well, ashamed, if they were treated like a beggar and a slave for a month?_

Helping her sister walk to the dining room, Reis observed that Agrias' normally tightly-braided hair had been untied to form cascading, curling locks of silvery blonde, draped around her shoulders as elegantly as a lady would in a palace. Nor was she wearing the dull grey armour that she normally wore on every occasion—a glimmering dress of black wool, studded with faceted glass shapes she wore now, having put away her bloodstained clothing from killing the chocobo. Wondering what on earth this could mean, Reis simply sat down on the nearest chair, letting her sister sit next to her.

'Reis…' Agrias said, smiling widely, 'I've decided to…'

'Marry me,' Mustadio added to her sentence, completing it. He grinned at Agrias, before continuing to ladle the chocobo and potato soup into large bowls, 'We've decided today. Agrias told me of her initial intentions to go with Ramza, but seeing as he has…well, died, she thought that I was the next closest person after him, and…decided to propose to me. Of course, who am I to decline a beautiful warrior like her?'

'Oh, you can praise me so, you pussy-cat,' Agrias giggled, setting down the bowls of soup onto their respective places

'I'm only telling the truth, Agrias, you're as beautiful as Reis is,' Mustadio concluded, sitting down on his seat.

'Really. I can't compare to the perfect woman of every male's dreams,' she laughed, before starting on her soup.

_Am I really that perfect…?_

'Oh, come on, you can at least compare somewhat to her,'

_Am I really that superior to everybody else…?_

'No I can't, she's better than me in fighting, in beauty, in intelligence, in everything. Except for maybe formal training.

_That's true…I haven't had real training by any masters, but somehow I can do more than most people can…_

Eating in silence, Reis continued to think about her life and what people think of her. In the past, she had been the centre of attention: a beautiful, intelligent and powerful woman, polite and refined; considered to be the greatest and most perfect of humans, before being turned into a hideous beast that everybody despised by an insane priest. She smiled.

_No, indeed I wasn't perfect…If I were, I wouldn't have needed to suffer for twelve years in the silent catacombs of the colliery…_

Finishing her meal first, Reis washed her dish, still pondering about her meaning in life. Was she necessary? Or was she simply a…tool, to be used by everybody else? Taking everybody else's bowls as they finished, she rinsed them all thoroughly, concentrating on the dishes as she tried to push away the thoughts clouding her mind.

'Sis…' Reis said to her sister, tossing in the bed that they were in, 'Am I really thought of as being that great…as what Mustadio and Agrias said during the meal?'

Her sister thought for a moment, lying down, facing her. Then she sighed softly, and moved closer towards Reis.

'Yes, it is true. Mother and father used to say wonderful things about you when you were studying in Lionel, and though they never said it, the merchants and virtually everybody else that has met you think so too. You are…some sort of godly human being to them, to put it simply,'

_So that's what people think of me…_

_I'm no goddess, I'm no angel, I'm not even a holy cleric. I'm far from being holy. I'm a heretic now. An outcast. One who cannot be accepted by society. Popularity itself can be potentially its own killer, when admiration turns to envy and envy turns to hatred. That's why I preferred the less popular path…but the people still think highly of me. I appreciate it, I value it. But too much…and everything goes out of hand. Yes…just like me…I had been too popular for my own good. If I hadn't been this…perfect, I wouldn't have been cursed by Buremonda to a dragon. Sometimes being gifted is also a curse…_

Snuggling up to her sister's warm body, she pushed her left leg in between her sister's legs, so that they were nearly flat together. Kissing each other softly, they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms…

Darkness still cloaked the sky when Reis slowly rose out of her bed. She knew the siege on Goug will begin anytime soon.

_I can feel it in the air…the wrath of God is coming…bloodshed is approaching. I must be ready…for slaughter, or to be slaughtered. The rule of the battlefield…ah, all too well I know that rule…_

_It's very cold this morning…and all the better. At least I won't be able to feel a thing if a blade slices into my body._

'Reis? Where are you going?' Katherine asked, seeing her sister put on her armour and taking out rather large blades from her closet, 'Don't do something dangerous, please,'

'Katherine…I know you love me, and plenty. But I must go. I must take care of what I have imposed on Goug,'

_I…I couldn't bear to say my parting words. I couldn't say that I might not be coming back. I couldn't say that I may die today. It's…It's just so…terrible, telling this…to someone that has already suffered so much…_

'Please, don't go, Reis,' Katherine whispered, reaching out for her sister's arm. But Reis had already left into the morning gloom.

Marching up the town's fogged streets, she strode straight to the observation post on the foremost trench, waiting for that morning sun to rise above the curved horizon. A pinkish hue began to take hold of the pitch-black sky, the darkness lifting, light filtering slowly in.

_It wouldn't be long now. Either I will die today, or defend Goug successfully. I have to do one…or the other. Hmph…if I had a choice…between captivity and death…I would prefer death than living at the mercy of another person. Blood I must shed today, and many lives I must take. May God take mercy on my cursed soul…_

**A/N**

Yes, I know, Reis still hasn't left for FFX yet…please be patient with me, I'm trying to set the act to the title.


	33. Disintegration of the Soul

Reis stood on top of the observation post, framed against the dim dawn light. Breathing in the sweet, grassy smell of the plain, she stroked her katana handle with her left hand.

_This…I wonder when I will be able to see peace once more._

The birds in the field twittered and flew from their nests as the dawn sun rose further into the sky, illuminating all in a pale, golden light, weak and calm. Filtering through leaves on the scattered trees upon the flat plain, the early morning light cast long, dappled shadows over all.

_War…what does it make? Nothing but bloodshed. Why, why do people continue?_

Drawing the katana blade, Reis ran her finger over a small section of its sharp edge. The curved sword sliced slightly into her skin, causing a droplet of red liquid to slide along her pale, smooth skin.

_I cannot say this myself…I, to go against war? My heart and soul is as impure as a spring is clean. I am…too corrupted to be saying anything, to even go to confession I am a heretic. Heretic…indeed I am. Here I stand, going against God's words of 'to love thy neighbour'. How much more can I be…unholy?_

Licking up her blood and watching the wound close neatly through the grace of her dragon ancestry, she smiled in the memory of Edea in the other reality that she had visited.

_I can cure…I can heal…that is intended to be a trait of a holy one, is it not? If I were to be entirely evil, unholy, sacrilegious…I would be a heartless executioner of all that I see. However, I am not one of that…what am I? Pure? Impure? Holy? Unholy? These notions confuse my mind, just like those who state my perfection. I-for one, am imperfect. Far from being a saint, close to being a repeated sinner._

Sheathing her blade once more and turning towards the town of Goug, she began to feel a strange emotion welling up in her. Unpleasant, giddying; the new surge of thought caused Reis to feel a certain hatred of humanity and its connotations.

_We can end wars as fast as we create them. We can create friendships where there was once hate. Why do wars rage on? Why is violence so widespread? Why is there poverty and other misfortunes that affect the less fortunate? I see…it is all related to so-called society; a method of collecting people together…simply to drain their time and health for the well-being of the few fortunates at the top of the so-called 'status ladder'. What do those underlings of society receive? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Years of toil, months of labour, weeks of work. All for nothing. All for nobility. All for the so-called upper class. What is class? Some distinction based on birth? No…we're all the same…we were all born from a mother's womb, a defenseless child; what makes us so different from each other? Fed by the same food, drinking the same water, wearing clothes of the same materials. What is it that causes so much separation in the world? All these questions…and nobody responsible to answer them._

Striding up the trench lines, she met Mustadio, loading his guns and placing rather large crossbows on the foremost trench, linking all their triggers with a single string.

_What is he going to do…?_

'Good morning, Mustadio,' Reis called out to him.

Raising his oil-coated face, Mustadio waved a greeting back, before dabbing each of the bolt-tips on the crossbows with a clear liquid. Cranking back each one with all his weight, his face was red and sweaty already; Reis wondered whether he would be energetic enough at noon if the fighting broke out.

'Morning, Reis,' Mustadio huffed, wiping a dirt-cased hand across his greasy forehead, 'Sorry I couldn't say anything to you before. If I pulled this too hard, all of the ones that I've set up will go off. And that…wouldn't be a good thing to see if the enemy comes up early,'

_The enemy…who exactly is the enemy? Delita was mine…but he is now dead, and I have as much to do against him as I am related to a squirrel. But if Mustadio says that the Hokuten and Nanten were the enemy…then Orlandu and Ramza would have been considered the enemy. Why is it that people must brand an entire group 'the enemy' due to the actions of one?_

'I won't expect them to be too friendly,' Reis said coldly, turning her back to him. The engineer scratched his head confusedly before resuming his preparations for the upcoming battle, muttering indistinct words.

_Why can't we be all friends…? It sounds so simple, and yet it's so complicated…_

Peering into the giant lens that had been mounted up on the observation post, Reis saw that the enemy encampment was being dismantled. The large tent where the High Priest used to reside in was being taken down, and there were trebuchets and ballistae visible behind the wooden palisades of the camp.

'Mustadio, they're going to be here soon…prepare the welcoming volley of arrows,' Reis shouted to the youth, who gave her a thumbs-up from under the trench store-hole, a barrel rising up from somewhere behind the hand.

Reis skipped down from the heightened observation post, helping Mustadio to lift the heavy barrel up.

_Weakness…isn't it the thing that we all have in common? We can help each other overcome it. Why can't we help each other to be better people?_

Mustadio pulled the cork seal from the barrel as he placed it twenty feet from the foremost trench; black powder spilled forth, coating the dry dirt and grass. It looked as though someone had drawn a thick, black charcoal line on a chalk cliff; Mustadio had rolled the large barrel all the way across the field, so that there was a line of black powder running in front of the trenches. He repeated this two dozen times, each time slightly further and further away, until the lines created joined to make a black area eight feet wide and running all the way across the field. Stretching a rope from the black to the trench, the engineer was confusing the dragoner more and more.

_What is he doing? What is that powder? I don't get it…_

'All done,' Mustadio whispered to Reis, looking at the black stripe running across the field, 'The enemy will be in for a nasty surprise when they come close enough,'

_I'll just trust him for now…_

'I'll call the militia. Where can I call all of them?' Reis asked.

'They live in the town. Just hit the bell on the top of the chapel, they'll all come,'

Without another word, wings burst out from Reis' back, and she flew off into the town.

'Reis?' she heard her sister's voice say from beneath her as she soared above the slums of Goug, 'Please come down here,'

_She's my only relative left…I don't want to lose her…and I might die today…I want to spend as much time as it is possible with her…and yet I must fight for the defense of Goug. Argh, if only I could have two halves of myself, one doing one task and the other doing another task._

'Reis…I've heard from Mustadio…you're going to go into war, aren't you?'

'Yes, that's true…'

'Then why couldn't you have told me in the morning? I might not see you again…I would miss you greatly…I wanted to spend as much time with you as it is possible…I've lost you for more than a decade, Reis. I miss you. I miss you a lot. It would've been at least some relief to me if you'd told me in the morning…'

_I thought that saying that would be traumatic for you. I did this for your own good, sister Katherine…_

'Now, at least take me with you, for if you die, I will die as well. I cannot bear the thought of being separated from my own flesh and blood again, especially the only one that's left,'

_You're too ill to do that, sister Katherine, please reconsider_

'I'm sorry, sister Katherine,' Reis sighed, leaning in and kissing Katherine on the lips, 'I can't take you to the battlefield. You can't possibly fight in your state, you've just started to heal from your ill-treatment,'

'But-'

'No, sister Katherine,' Reis said, with some finality, 'I love you greatly as a sister, and therefore you must live for me if I die. It is not…wise, for both of us to succumb to death today,'

_Why is it that the bond of flesh and blood so strong?_

Flying off towards the bell tower of the chapel, Reis began to see some more activity on the horizon. The troops of the Hokuten are mobilizing, a vast sea of men. The black stripe across the field where Mustadio had placed powder upon it appeared insignificant compared to the coming onslaught; for a brief, flickering moment, Reis had nearly given up all hope for the survival of Goug.

_Fear of numbers…why does it exist in everyone? Quality over quantity, that's what I've always been told…but will it hold true with this invasion?_

Striking the bell with her fist, the dragoner stuffed her fingers in her ears afterwards, her face distorted in agony as the great peal of the bell sent a tremendously powerful sound wave towards her ears. But the bell had its desired effect; the militia were emerging from their houses, bearing guns and crossbows.

_Are these…trained? They're so assorted…I mean, they're not even in uniform. I guess that's why they're militia…_

They all dashed to the trenches, meeting up with Mustadio at the forefront. The army of the Hokuten was almost at the trenches.

_I must go quickly, to aid them in the defense of Goug…_

Flying off at a high speed, Reis arrived at Mustadio long before the other militia arrived. Sure enough, there was Mustadio; pale-faced, sweating like a pig, his knees knocking together, as though in fear.

'Reis…are you afraid that this might happen?' Mustadio quavered, holding his gun unsteadily, 'There's too many of them to be defeated,'

'If we're going to die…let's die together, at the very least. Come, the leader is coming out to deliver his terms,'

Sure enough, the leader of the Hokuten Knights, dressed in royal blue, came riding up to them on a bright yellow chocobo. Reis and Mustadio walked forwards, staring at him coldly. They both knew the rules of war: Ramza had told enough of it during their travels. Before a battle, both leaders would meet and make their demands should the other side be defeated, or even meet an agreement before the two sides fight. In this case, Reis greatly preferred the latter.

'Good morning, lady and lord of Goug,' the Hokuten knight spoke, smiling a smile of death, 'I am a representative of the Hokuten-'

'Yes, we already can see that,' Mustadio hissed through gritted teeth.

_Mustadio! Can you stop that!_

'-The Hokuten and the Nanten have a number of demands to make,'

'And what can they be?' Reis asked politely, hiding her contempt for the soldier.

'One: The entire population of Goug is to be deported to a place suitable for further work and rehabilitation. Two: The military forces of Goug will be disbanded and dispersed. Three: Goug is to be leveled to the ground. There will be nothing left of the old city. Four: The heretic, Reis Dular is to come with me for a hearing at the High Temple at Murond,'

_Is he mad? Does he think that we will actually accept these terms?_

'No. We will refuse those demands,' Reis hissed, turning her back upon the furious delegate.

'Are you certain about that, young missy?' the knight said, in a sickening tone, 'You look pretty fine to me…how about if you stay with me for the night? And we'll let your puny little town go unharmed,'

'How about no. I am…after all, Reis Dular, the fiancé of Beowulf Kadmus,'

'Oh, so you're that heretic…' the knight jeered, narrowing his eyes, 'A foul-mouthed bitch, just as I expected,'

_One moment you think I'm beautiful, the next you think I'm a repugnant, vile creature. Such courtesy…_

'I am more honourable than you, you war-mongering scoundrel! You may have sworn an oath of chivalry once upon a time, but I see that you have forgotten it,'

'A heretic has no right to speak of me that way. Mind your position in the social ladder determined by God and God alone!' he roared, his face turning red. Turning his chocobo around, he moved off back into his camp, vanishing from sight as he entered the palisade gates.

'There's no going back now, Reis,' Mustadio muttered, grasping his gun handle, 'We'll have to take them all down…or as many down as we can, if we don't survive,'

Diving back into the trenches, Mustadio sat down against the wall, dispirited.

_Is that your will…to fight? If so, it looks as though you want peace…_

A heavy object dropped out of Reis' dress pocket, landing with a thud on her foot. Rubbing her foot as she picked up the dense cylinder of unknown material, she began to remember…

_This is the blade, given to me by the Estharian leader on the other world…and yet, I haven't tried it. Maybe this is the time to do so…_

Hours ticked by, minute by minute in silence, as they waited for the dreadful call of battle, the screams of war. Reis tapped her katana gently against her knee, gazing towards the distant army in apprehension.

_What will people think of me if I die? Will I just…vanish from memory and never be remembered…? Or will I be a hero, celebrated and famous…? I wouldn't really care, as long as I'm with my Beowulf…_

'Mustadio…' Reis said, hopping off the edge of the front trench, 'Take good care of Alma,'

'What are you going to do, Reis?' he asked, stunned, as the dragoner leaped up on the front wall of the trench and began walking towards the no-man's land.

'I…I've burdened too many people. Today…no, right now…is the time I will atone for my sins,'

Heeding no more warnings and hearing not a single sound, Reis charged forward, without a single person behind her. A sea of men she was to confront—whether she survived or not, it was unclear.

_I…I begin to understand now. The reason why I fight. The reason why everybody fights. We fight to defend our ideas. We fight to defend our values. We fight to defend our friends and loved ones. It is…fitting, I suppose, when one is forced to fight on one of these reasons. But as for these cursed men in front of me, I am uncertain of what reason they fight. Perhaps they had been coerced into fighting. Perhaps they have gone for greed. I would never know._

The following moments were seconds of silence as Reis held the tube in her hand, watching a beam of blue light, the exact same ultramarine colour of her eyes, shoot out of one end, possibly longer than her katana. Discarding the metal blades on the ground, she engraved her name upon them, before thrusting them into the ground; slicing her index finger upon the tip with a sharp blade, she wrote a message onto the crimson handle.

_Reis Dular. A dragoner of unknown origins, lies here._

_Now I'm ready for death…or whatever comes next. I would not care if my body were to be studded with arrows or be sliced open like a pig in a slaughterhouse. All that I love…will perish anyway, and some are already waiting for me…I must not allow them to wait much longer._

Sprinting forward, she dragged the shining blade along on the ground; where it touched the dusty surface there was not a single grain of sand left.

A line of chocobo riders emerged from the encampment, changing formation to a wedge as they approached Reis. Closer and closer they went, louder and louder was the sound, until…

_Crack. Down goes one, sword through chest._

_Pull out sword, watch the rider and headless chocobo flounder on the ground._

_Swing blade madly. The shining surface rips apart bodies and necks, scattering fragments of flesh and sprays of blood all over. Kick aside a mutilated man, throw his head at the last remaining rider to dismount him. Stab rider in the groin. Watch him roll in pain. Grasp his neck, and break it._

Standing victorious upon a pile of dead flesh and blood, Reis possessed the appearance of an angel of death; her jet-black wings were spattered with blood, and pieces of gut were strewn all over her armour.

_The rest will suffer my wrath if they dare to come closer…_

A shower of arrows rained down towards Reis; a thick, seemingly solid mass of brown, descending upon the slender figure without mercy. Spinning the blade at a rapid speed, Reis repulsed most of the barrage; screaming in pain as she felt the arrows pierce deep into her hand and arm, the dragoner kept moving forward, pulling out arrowheads as she went, an insane gleam inside her eyes.

_One cannot exist without a soul…Death!_

A wide arc of dark energy blasted the plain as Reis swept her hand in a desperate move to reduce opposition numbers. Two dozen archers in the distance dropped to their knees, their heads lolling on their necks, uncontrolled.

_There's still thousands left…I need something more…_

'_Reis?'_

'Beowulf…?' Reis whispered to herself, 'You-you're watching me?'

'_Yes I am, Reis. Hold on, talk to this calculator that I met in the depths of the underworld. He says he's been locked up here for years on end, because he killed an entire kingdom,'_

_Killed an entire kingdom…? Then he should be able to get Goug out of this peril…_

'_Ah, I presume you're Reis, fine lady. I will teach you the terrible arts of mass destruction. It is called…calculation. Master the art and apply it to spells, and you shall gain power that none shall surpass,'_

_But what if I don't want that power?_

'_You shall need blood and bone. As you realise, the life force itself is a most potent material in the arcane arts, and the body is the binding covenant of the elements,'_

_Blood…I've used that before…but bone…?_

'_Mix the blood with your fingertips, along with crushed bone and its shards. Write in the resultant dye a formula, any formula, that you can think of. This shall be your casting instrument. Consecrate it with the blood of an enemy, and some more of your own essence. This can be anything. That is all that I have to teach you, for I am not certain that one—especially a female—shall be able to grasp the concepts of this supreme art upon one lesson,'_

_Doubt my abilities, will he? He will soon see for himself…_

Drawing out her silver dagger and grasped the hand of a dead cavalryman in front of her. Slashing off his arm, she burned away the flesh with a fiery breath. Crushing the bone with her fist, she placed the resultant powder upon her other palm. Seeing as her hand was already bleeding, she simply dripped the blood upon the bone. Stirring it with her finger, she watched in amazement as the blood and bone fused to become a dark red, ink-like mixture.

_I will save Goug with this mixture…but what is the largest formula that I can think of?_

_One thousand by one thousand sounds good…but no, its not the largest…wait, what about one divided by zero? That's infinity, isn't it? The largest, impossibly-huge number?_

Scribbling one over a zero, Reis stared incredulously as the gruesome writing morphed and shifted to form a ribbon without two sides; it possessed only one, and yet was a solid shape to the touch. Holding the ribbon between two bloodied fingers, she pressed it against a chocobo's severed neck. Blood soaked into the ribbon, turning the cloth black; then Reis hesitated for a minute.

_Essence of myself…I've already used blood…what else could I use…?_

Tearing off a strand of hair, she wrapped it around the black material. Nothing happened.

_What is the essence of myself…?_

Spitting on the cloth, she observed it do nothing.

_I'm really at a loss…_

Rubbing it against her skin, she felt it touch, but nothing more.

_Oh…not this either?_

_I wonder…what is required…it's not blood, it's not part of my body…what exactly does it want? I give up…I'll just wear this as a ribbon. I can't fight like this, anyway. My hand is totally useless for any further fighting now._

Walking slowly back to the trenches, Reis bit down on her tongue, trying to restrain the pain in her arrow-pierced hand. The deadly projectiles had been deflected by her shining blade, preventing them from raining down on her body; but her hand had been mangled by the three arrows that had pierced right through them; fragments of the arrows still stuck in the flesh of her hand, the splinters threatening to break off and enter her bloodstream at any moment. Blood dripped steadily down from the arrow tips still visible as she inched her way back to Goug.

'Reis, what have you done?' Mustadio asked her, coming down to help her stand as she collapsed in the trenches to the horror of the other militia, 'Why did you rush out there? I never thought you'd come back alive…'

'Neither did I,' she gasped, grasping the arrow stubs and yanking them out of her flesh, with small chunks of her skin attached to the metal, 'Ouch—can you get me some bandages?'

'Sure thing,' Mustadio muttered, searching in a trench supplies hole for a medical kit, 'Here you go, I found an Elixir as well, it should do well when poured directly onto the wound,'

Pouring the medicine onto her wound and the bandages, she watched the blood begin to thicken and stop flowing, and as she wrapped the cloth around the holes on her hand, she noticed that it had stopped bleeding entirely.

'Tomorrow will be worse, I tell you,'

* * *

'They're coming,' a female gunner said, 'What should we do? We're outnumbered by at least ten to one,'

'More than that, Mire, we're outnumbered by nearly a hundred to one,' the crossbowman shouted next to her, loading his crossbow as a trebuchet rock soared overhead, smashing a cannon to shards of metal.

'Everyone, hold your ground!' Mustadio yelled over the whistling of arrows and the loud explosions of the magically-imbued rocks that the trebuchets were firing. Thousands of Hokuten and Nanten knights were marching towards them; a force nearly a hundred thousand strong, facing a puny defense of only five hundred. Mustadio's row of crossbows had taken its toll of the Nanten front liners; nearly one thousand of them had been defeated by the incendiary arrows that these fired; burning, they thrashed around in agony, spreading the flames to more of their comrades as they ran blindly. However, the supply of oiled arrows are diminishing, and the trebuchet bombardment had destroyed at least half of the contraption. Goug was facing a losing uphill battle against the rest of Ivalice; it was as though an ant were placed in the way of a lion.

'Fire!' Reis roared, lighting the wick of a light cannon with a torch. A blast issued forth from the black iron tube, launching a heavy lead and mythril ball towards the oncoming waves of infantry. The shell exploded as soon as it made contact with the first shield; fragments of deadly, poisonous lead combined with the hard and sharp mithril sprayed outwards, forming lethal projectiles that studded the Nanten knights; almost fifteen soldiers dropped to the ground, blinded and studded by the metal shrapnel.

_An agonizing death…but why must they invade?_

'Reis! Watch out above you!' the militia beside her shouted, pushing her out of the way of an incoming catapult boulder. Reis fell to the ground as the woman knocked her over; but there was no mercy for the woman; the lower half of her body was invisible under the boulder, crushed by the sheer weight and speed of the great stone. Crouching over the fatally-wounded woman, Reis watched her face scrunch up in pain. Her body had been thoroughly demolished; there was no way that the woman would survive. A splinter of bone jutted out of her body at an odd angle where her lower spine was; her arms reached forwards, an inch, two inches…before it went limp.

_She didn't have to die for me…I would have willingly taken the blow. She needn't suffer from a war that I could have prevented…_

Tears fell on the black ribbon, wetting the fabric; a blinding flash of light spread outwards from the ribbon, brighter than the whitest light that was possible. Reis' eyes widened in shock as the glow dissipated, leaving only a silvery mass hanging about her wrist; it dragged her hand upwards, though her mind was unwilling.

_Obliterate all reality in dark matter! Shadow Flare!_

A wave of darkest energy spread forth from Reis' raised hand, billowing across the entire plain. The knights cowered where they stood for the few remaining seconds of their existence, before being eradicated from the face of the world by the sheer power of the Infinity Ribbon. The entire plain was a pool of molten rock; space, time and matter compressed itself with the aid of the ribbon in the matter of a moment, releasing energy so devastating as to reduce all that it met to nothingness, releasing gigantic quantities of heat in the process; the ribbon disintegrated to increase the power of the blast. This was sufficient to destroy all the soldiers on the plain; a belt of flames spread outwards across the length of the island; a river of fire, a tide of destruction, swallowing all in heat and negative energy. Nothing was left of the Nanten; nor of the Hokuten; or of the Lionel knights. Gone. Destroyed. Annihilated.

_I…I cannot believe what I have done…I've taken away the lives of…of…too many people to be counted. Surely I will be damned for this heresy…a fate that I will accept, for it is too kind for the evil that I have now committed…_

Slumping down next to a cannon, Reis sobbed away into her hands, the last vestiges of her purity disappearing as her tears flowed. Mustadio patted her shoulder gently, pulling her up to her feet, before leading her back to Goug along with the rest of the militia, who were rejoicing at their sudden salvation from death.

* * *

_What is it that I did that makes people happy…? I've just…committed mass murder, that's all…and that's not exactly good for myself. My conscience…I fear that it is waning…I fear that it might disappear someday, along with my innocence that everybody says that I have. They say it runs strong in me, that it is my strength. They all say that I am the pure one, the holy one, the perfect one. Now I am but a sinner. A dirty sinner. An unholy wretch. May the wraiths and spirits of those that I have slain have mercy upon my soul once I too join them…_

'Reis? What's the matter?' Mustadio asked, through a mouthful of a chocobo's drumstick, 'You don't look too happy,'

'Indeed I'm not…I've committed mass murder. I've committed the greatest sin. The unforgivable sin. May God have mercy on me when I die,'

'Come, cheer up, Reis, everybody is celebrating,' Agrias said, sipping a goblet of the finest Grog Hill wine, 'You've saved the population of Goug from death,'

'But that doesn't give me a reason to kill all of those men,'

'Reis, saving a life is better than ending a hundred lives,'

'Well, I've ended more lives than I've saved lives today. Two minuses to a plus doesn't make a gain, does it?'

'You've got a point there,'

_As if they even care…I'm just a tool…an instrument of war…a weapon of destruction. My body is everything to them, my soul is next to worthless. I'm tired of this…_

'Like it or not, I'm leaving,'

'For where, Reis?'

'Wherever Mustadio's machine takes me,'

Not waiting for another word, Reis threw open the door to the machine room. Thrusting the golden feather into a slot on the machine and stepping onto the central platform, she observed everything around her disappear into darkness, all feeling of cold and warmth gone, sight failing…and the loss of recollections after that.

**A/N**

_**I'm sort of depressed right now…I met Reis again, for a moment…and then she left. She shuns society as much as an ant is attracted to honey. Massive loads of homework isn't helping me either…**_

_**Sometimes I wonder…do we live to work or do we work to live? Sometimes it's both, I believe. What comes first, the egg or the chicken? It's the same thing with life and death.**_

_**I will take a photo of her sooner or later, while I've got my chance with a camera at school for a project. She's back in school, but not the same Reis that I've met before. Far from the same. She's the real, same Reis that I've met, in the name and appearance at least, but in behaviour, much altered…**_

_**No reviews this week writer even more depressed. 835 hits doesn't justify why, there were 130 new hits, but why no reviews? It doesn't make sense…**_


	34. Besaid Island

_Ugh!_

Reis landed face first into something soft but gritty, something wet that stuck to her hair as she tried to brush it out. Sitting up, she found herself in a totally foreign location.

There were miles and miles of beaches that stretched out along the coast of some unknown island, under the shadows of black granite cliffs. A dense jungle of gigantic trees and rambling vines perched on top of it; she could even see several birds staring at her in interest. Water lapped at her feet, soaking the hem of her long dress. The heat was almost comforting, and yet…something didn't feel right.

_Where is this place…?_

'Hello? Anybody there?' Reis shouted to the distance, only to hear her own echoes rebound off the cliffs. Only the steady rush and splash of waves could be heard. Nothing. Nobody was around.

_Is this place…deserted? Better to start walking and find out later…_

Reis walked along the beach, her feet making deep imprints in the soft, white sand. The azure ocean stretched out for as far as the eye could see into the horizon, reflecting the blazing sun's rays. Perspiration dripped from her face as the sun's heat began to intensify, and her silk dress, which was lined with wool, didn't exactly help to cool her down.

_God…it's so hot here…_

Standing in the shadow of an overhanging rock, Reis looked around the island. There was little to see, except for a small path leading deeper into the island, lined on either side by towering jungle trees and boulders. Curious, Reis walked closer to the little dirt track.

_So this island isn't abandoned after all…_

Striding easily up the path with her long legs, she gazed at her surroundings. There was only dense jungle around her. And yet, something doesn't feel secure…

_Something's not right…I think someone's watching me…_

She fell to the ground with a scream as a large, jelly-like monster landed on her back, knocking her down to the floor. Struggling to take her katanas as the monster attempted to bite into her flesh, Reis eventually kicked it, only to see her foot embedded inside the blue, sticky liquid; finding the light blade of Esthar, she stabbed the fiend through its ugly, squashed face. Panting, Reis staggered to her feet, watching the monster vaporize; specks of glimmering material appeared above the corpse as it disintegrated, finally vanishing into thin air. Clutching a bite wound on her shoulder with one hand, she walked on, her light blade out, severing leaves as she walked on through the jungle.

_Damn that beast…whatever it was, I don't like it._

Arriving at a dead end on top of a cliff, she sat down on its edge. Her bleeding had somewhat slowed down; though her hand was coated in her own blood. At the base of the cliff was a narrow path cut into the rock; waterfalls severed the segments, which were linked by frail-looking wooden bridges wherever there was a gap in the rock. Sitting for half an hour while she attempted to heal the wound, Reis spotted two women walking along the narrow rock passage.

_So, this island is populated._

As they approached closer, Reis observed a dark shadow moving along the surface of the ocean beneath the path. She caught a glimpse of a large bird in the sky, descending rapidly towards the two women—

'Watch out!' Reis yelled, leaping off the edge of the cliff towards the two women. The large bird had swooped down towards them, and Reis landed neatly on top of the bird—with her energy blade held with both hands, point downwards. Down went the blade's point, through the bird's drab brown plumage, its flesh, its bone, and out the other side of its thick neck. Squawking loudly, the bird tumbled over the edge of the path, falling to certain death at the bottom of the waterfall; it would be dashed to pieces by the rocks waiting below. Beating her wings calmly, Reis stayed aloft, the bird's blood sprayed all over her face and hands. Landing with a soft tap on the rock, she dusted stray feathers from her crimson dress, bowing to the two women.

_One's clearly a black mage, and the other a priestess. Why would they be here, out of all places?_

'Hello,' the priestess said, offering her hand to Reis, 'Thank you for disposing of the fiend,'

'You're welcome,' Reis answered, standing up straight and shaking her hand.

'So, what's your name?' the black mage asked her, her jet-black eyes matching her dress and staring straight into Reis' own, cold, unfeeling.

'Reis. Reis Dular,'

'Nice to meet you, Reis. I'm Yuna,' the priestess said, cleansing Reis' robes with a wave of her staff, 'And she's Lulu,'

'It's…good to meet you, Lulu,' Reis mumbled uncertainly to the seemingly detached black mage.

'We'll take you to our village,' Lulu said coldly, 'It's not safe to be alone out here. What's jumped on you before? A Flan? They normally fall on people and bite them to death when their victim is surprised. You're lucky to be alive,'

'Gee, thanks,' Reis replied sarcastically, 'What're you going to say next, a boulder's going to fall on my head and I will die?'

_This black mage is strange…but I guess all black mages are strange…_

'So, tell me, Reis,' Yuna asked her, 'Where did you come from? Your clothes look very different to what everybody else wears,'

_Different…? Oh, that's true…Yuna's wearing what appears to be a number of robes, one over the top of another, and Lulu's got a fur trimmed black robe. I'm the only one wearing a simple, white linen and wool dress…_

'I've come from Ivalice,'

'Ivalice? I've never heard of that place. Are you sure that Sin hasn't got you?'

'What's Sin?'

'Never mind…at least you're not insane or dead,'

_Sin…? Dead…? Insane…? What's that got to do with me? Or what does it even mean?_

'We're nearly there,' Yuna said, pointing at something over a barren hill.

There was a small village built on the rocky shore, with a stone temple built on the far end. Jungle creepers infested the houses ringing the stone paved circle in the centre, the tendrils of green climbing the brown thatched roofs of the wooden huts. A large pile of fire remains sat in the centre of the stone circle, a vast mound of ash and burnt timber. Brushing aside the undergrowth cluttering the broad dirt path that led down to the village, the three women walked onward towards the village.

A large, blue-furred creature stood waiting at the village gates, bearing an enormous halberd. Bowing to Yuna as she entered the town, Reis wondered what this…cat-like creature was doing, standing beside the town gate as though it was a sentinel. However, as Reis followed behind her, a large pole-arm descended towards her head, to be dodged in good time by the dragoner's quick reflexes.

'Hey!' Reis shouted, drawing out her light blade, 'Watch where you point that thing!'

'Me no trust your identity. Methinks you are untrustworthy,' the cat-like guard growled, in a deeper tone than Reis had ever made as a dragon, 'Go back from where you came, half-human,'

_How does he know that…?_

'No, no, Kimahri, let her pass,' Yuna quickly said, pushing the halberd away. To Reis' amazement, the creature followed her orders; he dropped the weapon and stood there, looking into Yuna's green and blue eyes. Picking up the halberd, Yuna staggered into the town, balancing the pole-arm on her lean shoulders.

'Kimahri is Yuna's guardian,' Lulu explained, seeing Reis' shocked expression, 'He's been guarding her since she was little, after her parents passed away. Yuna is nearly like his little sister,'

Noticing the stump of a horn on Kimahri's head, Reis nudged Lulu in the shoulder and pointed at it, looking meaningfully at her pitch-black eyes.

'He's…an exile from the north, that's all I can tell you. Pray, don't ask me any more of that matter, for his good. Oh, and you may stay in this village for as long as you need to, in that house over there,' Lulu said, pointing towards the second-largest building in the small village, 'It's the Crusaders' Headquarters in Besaid,'

_Crusaders…? Like those people who fought in the Fifty Year War?_

'Have some rest, you look fairly tired,' Yuna said, 'Eat something while you're at it,'

'Thank you,'

Parting the curtains that draped over the entrance of the building, Reis found a sort of dormitory within the large hut. There were a row of beds in it, separated from the far wall by a narrow aisle; weapons were balanced precariously against the wall; spears, sabers, maces and all, leaning against the rough brown timber. A man sat near the front, grinding serrations into a sword edge, dabbing some silvery powder into the sharp blade as he finished with each.

_I don't see any crusaders here, or the ones like those from the Fifty Year War anyway…_

'Hello, young miss, I haven't seen you around before, what brings you to distant Besaid?' the weapon grinder called out over the screeching of the stone wheel and steel, 'It's been a long time since I saw a person from another island or place,'

'Uh…um…' Reis stammered, unable to think of why she came to the island in the first place, 'Well…I came here through a teleportation device…and I didn't exactly know where I was going,'

_I'm certain he doesn't believe me; he's raising an eyebrow…_

'Oh, right. Well, I'll have to get back to my work, there's many more swords to be enhanced,'

_Thank goodness that I don't have to explain my presence any further…I would have been at a loss as to what to say. _

'I'll help you get through these quickly,' Reis offered, grasping the handle of the nearest unfinished saber, 'At least you can do what you want quicker,'

'You? To work metal? No, you'd better cook some food,'

'Ah, you'll see,' Reis laughed, as she ground down a sword's edge until its blade was sharper than a shaving razor, leaving the man speechless when she left the tent.

Wandering aimlessly through the tropical town, Reis noticed a strange thing among the population. Nearly no people appeared to be older than thirty or so; many were little children, playing and laughing, however their parents were somber and cold.

_Nearly like war-torn Ivalice in some parts…the little children were left unharmed as their parents perished to protect them, to grow up without somebody loving you, to grow up fending for yourself, without anyone caring…I was fortunate enough to have a foster parent…_

'Lady Reis, Lady Yuna has invited you to the Temple of Besaid, kindly come quickly,' the town guard said, yawning wide.

Stepping into the dark interior of the stone temple, Reis discovered an entirely new scene to behold. She was used to the stern, austere interiors of churches, with their orderly rows of pews and a single altar on the front, and a priest leading all processions. This temple—to some unknown deity—was an entirely different affair to her; there were multiple altars, each dedicated to an effigy of some long-dead demigod-like man. The way people prayed at this temple also caused some confusion for her; instead of kneeling and clasping their hands together, like in Ivalice, the people here made circular motions with their hands, bowing as they completed each prayer.

Torches hung from the walls, a brazier burning in front of each statue. Three tunnels led away from the main prayer hall, one leading up; Yuna, Lulu and Kimahri stood there, waiting for Reis, Lulu motioning her to come forward.

'Reis, will you be my Guardian?' Yuna asked, 'It would really please me if you did,'

'Yuna! We don't even know if she believes in the true creator, Yevon!' Lulu hissed, indignant at the thought of a heretic guarding a holy priestess.

'Yes…that's true,' Reis whispered softly, staring at the ground, 'I don't even know who Yevon is,'

'That won't matter, we'll just pretend,' Yuna said cheerfully, ignoring Lulu's angry stare.

_That…coming from a holy person…I would be worried that she could one day reach a high position…_

An orange-clad priest opened the central door, leading to an even darker hallway within. There were no torches, no form of lighting whatsoever; Reis wondered why Yuna would even want to go in there. Having no choice but to follow her, Reis ran in after the rest, the door closing with a slight slam behind her.

Words and symbols floated around the walls, glowing and fading, ethereal; the walls seemed to give off a dim green light in some way or another, adding to the shine of the ghostly images on the wall. Touching an area with a number of cross-shaped symbols, Reis jumped back with a cry of surprise as the symbol burned itself into the wall behind, leaving a black cross with a circle surrounding it. Yuna stepped forward and touched this; the wall behind them shattered, leaving only broken pieces of stone and a path leading downwards.

A bluish-green sphere was embedded in a pedestal set into the wall; pulling it out of its socket, Lulu held it in her hands for a moment, feeling the pulses of energy flow through her hands from the crystal. Walking further down, they were met by a solid steel door, with a recess cut where the lock should be; into this Lulu inserted the glowing sphere, where it released a stronger wave of energy, unlocking the door.

Reis extracted the ball from the socket after she pushed the door open; what this was used for later, she wouldn't really know.

_How long is this labyrinth of puzzles?_

Finding yet another socket set into the wall, Reis placed the ball inside it. Stepping back as the wall crumbled to dust, along with the sphere, the four saw a grid of pulsating silver lines, with a blue stone pedestal on the very edge.

'Kimahri, go find a Besaid Sphere,' Lulu said, pointing towards the far end of the tunnel, 'We'll need it,'

The blue creature nodded and leaped off, running with a loping gait into the distant darkness. Minutes later, he returned, with a blue sphere and a purple sphere. Lulu took the blue sphere, which she inserted into the pedestal.

'Kimahri find destruction sphere,' the cat-creature said, 'Kimahri not know where to place,'

'Just drop it; we've got to get Yuna into the Chamber of the Fayth quickly,'

Pushing the pedestal across the silvery lines onto a glowing tile, Reis suddenly found the floor beneath her sinking; the rest of the group hopped onto the elevator, with Reis in the middle, confused.

'The Chamber of the Fayth, Yuna…I hope you're ready,' Lulu mumbled, sweeping towards the dimly-lit hall in front of her, 'Concentrate hard and win the Fayth,'

_Fayth…?_

'I will, Lulu,'

Yuna brushed aside a curtain, revealing a tunnel; Reis made steps forward, but was barred by Kimahri's halberd.

'No,' Kimahri growled, 'No distract Yuna. She need alone,'

'Why?'

'The Fayth…it's a statue of previous High Summoners. She must pray to each until she receives the power of the Final Aeon, which will allow her to defeat Sin. It is imperative that she receives all the quiet that she can get,'

_Abolish sin…? How is that possible?_

Hours ticked by as they waited in silence; Reis paced back and forth, waiting every moment for that curtain to open again. They turned their heads towards the elevator as it whirred slightly; descending, the stone platform bore two men on it.

'Get out of my way!' a blonde teenager shouted, running past the shocked guardians, 'She might be in danger now!'

'You the one not knowing anything,' Kimahri puffed, knocking him backward with an easy sweep of his arm, 'Go back to Besaid,'

'No!' the teenager yelled, running towards the curtain and trying to push it aside. It was nearly as solid as concrete this time; nothing like the cloth that Yuna pushed aside. Heaving it up slightly, the blonde did not need to continue; Yuna stepped out, staggering. She walked forward slightly, for a few moments, before collapsing. Reis, seeing this about to happen, had dashed forwards; catching Yuna before she fell to the floor. The group walked back in silence to Besaid, Lulu glaring at the other man, 'Wakka', for a reason that Reis can only guess; he might be a guardian of Yuna, but failed to do his duty by allowing this strange boy to get in.

Later that day…

_Argh, those people are so noisy celebrating outside…Yuna might have become a summoner now, but that's no reason to celebrate that much, is it? I mean, it's nearly midnight now, and they're still cooking and eating and carrying on. I can't sleep…In Ivalice summoners are so common that nobody cares if they die. Is it different here?_

**A/N**

I hate society…

Do we work to live or do we live to work?

What comes first, the chicken or the egg?

It's the same thing with hatred; what comes first, hating or being hated?

Anyway, congrats to readers, 900 hits have been reached.


	35. Sin of Destruction

Reis strolled along the beach, the dawn sun barely up past its azure bed. Stretching in the golden semicircle's glowing glory, she marveled at the blueness of the ocean and its beauty; a treasure trove of peace and serenity in its depths. Sitting down on the edge of the beach, she let the warm water lap about her white feet, rushing forward and receding again as fast as it came.

_This reminds me…of the years in my youth. My father taught me to swim in beaches like these, just south of Lionel near Warjilis. Oh, I couldn't forget…how cold the water was, and how strong the currents were. I nearly got swept away one time…it was the scariest moment of my life…_

A ball descended upon her head, luminous and blue; a marble of sapphire in a pale gold sky. Striking Reis on the back of the head, she gasped slightly in surprise, grabbing the ball as it bounced forward.

'Whose ball is this?' Reis yelled, looking around.

'Mine!' Wakka called out from the distant end of the beach, towards Besaid, 'We're practicing Blitzball!'

_Blitzball…? Must be a kind of sport…_

'Catch this!' Reis cried out, smashing the ball as hard as she could with her fist. It curved downwards, arcing above Wakka's head before slamming into the sand behind him, a shockwave traveling through the ground as it connected. Wakka whistled and picked up the ball, now slightly squashed and deflated due to the impact.

'C-Could you show me that again? If I could do that in Blitz, our team would be unstoppable,' Wakka shouted, tossing the ball back to Reis.

'Certainly,' she replied, smiling, before whacking the ball again, this time landing in the water and causing a large splash. Wakka dived in after the ball, trying out the same movement as Reis did, giving up as he made the ball fall into the sea with no more impact than a fly would have on a bowl of soup.

'How do you even do that?' Wakka said, walking towards her, shaking water out of his hair, 'I can't hit it hard enough,'

'I don't know,' Reis mumbled, 'It just comes when I felt like it,'

'That's lucky for you. Say, do you want to join the Besaid Aurochs for the upcoming tournament? It would be an honor to have you in our team,'

'I don't even know how to play,' Reis muttered, blushing, 'How can I join a team without knowing the rules?'

'It's easy enough…the whole game is based on trying to put the ball through your opponent's goals. You can hit it, kick it or throw it into the goal; all of them count. If the other team has the ball, you have to try and gain possession of it, in any way possible as long as it does not involve doing serious harm to the opponent,'

_Serious harm…? Now what's the guideline on that? What exactly is considered 'serious'?_

'Sun's rising a bit higher, we need to go to Kilika after this for Yuna's pilgrimage,'

'Pilgrimage? To where?'

'Not to where, but for what. She's going to destroy Sin if she completes this pilgrimage. Come, we have to get to the harbor in time,'

_A pilgrimage to destroy Sin. It seems to be a noble cause, and a worthy one at that. To destroy sin would bring peace to the world._

_

* * *

_

'Is everybody ready?' Yuna shouted to her group of guardians; Reis, Lulu, Kimahri, Wakka and a strange person called 'Tidus'. He had, according to Wakka, lost his mind in close contact with Sin.

_Whatever that means…_

'Take care, Yuna!'

'We'll miss you!'

'Go and beat up Sin!'

_Oh…that's so sweet, the little children waving her goodbye. Perhaps this pilgrimage will be long…_

'Tidus! What are you doing? Stop that!' Wakka roared at the strange person, wresting a telescope from his hands and apologizing to a deck hand, 'You need to learn better manners, young man!'

'As if you're not young, Wakka,'

'Be quiet, you,'

'You two, shut up before I fry your heads in,' Lulu hissed, waving her voodoo doll in the air dangerously, 'And Reis, come here for a second,'

'Yes, Lulu?'

'I'm still worried about you. Kimahri says that you're…not human. As if you were a fiend of some sort,'

'Well, I am…not _quite _human, but I am not a fiend or monster either. Let me show you,'

_By the power of the spirits, grant me invisibility!_

'Reis? Where've you gone?'

_Ah…that's better, at least I won't tear my dress to pieces. Now…The form of a dragon…and reveal me to light!_

'By Yevon! Kimahri was right, you're not human,' Lulu mumbled, taking a step back and flattening herself against the wall of the ship.

Everyone stopped and stared at Reis. Some gawped at her immense draconic form, while others backed away silently in fear of being crushed. The crowd surrounding her began to whisper among themselves about a half-dragon; a witch, a human fiend. Yuna herself had rushed to the front of the crowd, only to recoil at the sight of the enormous silver dragon occupying the deck of the ship.

'Reis…? Is this your true self? A dragon?'

'That…I cannot answer…I am both a human…and a dragon. I am both…but neither. Sometimes I wonder. Am I to be classified a fiend and monster, or a human acceptable by society? I am…neither. I'm not accepted where I came from; hunted to pieces I am as a monster…to put it simply, yes, and no. This is both my true form, and yet it is not. I am…who I am,'

At that very moment, the entire ship was rocked by an enormous wave; a mountain-like shape rose out of the sea, towering over the ship like an elephant over an ant. Its shadow covered the entire deck in black, imitating the darkness of its name.

'Sin!' a sailor yelled, before running under the deck for cover.

_So that's what Sin is…it's the embodiment of our moral sins…_

Small objects flew off its side, soaring through the air with a whistle before they studded the wooden deck of the ship. They were seed-like objects, man-sized, lined with razor sharp spikes all down their sides; bursting open to reveal insect-like creatures within.

'Sinscales. Don't underestimate them,' Lulu said, striking down one with a fire spell.

'Easy enough for me,' Reis roared, splitting the remaining ones on the deck in two with a sweep of her spiked tail.

'More of them on the way!' Wakka shouted, striking one out of the air with a well-aimed throw.

'They need to learn…' Reis hissed, breathing fire upon the hapless, incinerated fiends.

'Pyreflies don't come out of those that you kill…why's that?' Yuna asked her, picking up a small black crystal left behind by a sinscale, 'It's as though…you've sealed their spirits as you kill,'

'I'll answer that later, but now I've got my claws full,' Reis grunted as a sinscale embedded itself within her flesh, to be ripped out seconds later by a six-inch fang, 'This is getting to my nerves…'

_Darkness and energy, bind into one! Consume all in your path!_

'Shadow Flare!' Reis roared, planting her claws into the ground. The rails of the ship were flung miles into the sky as the blast of superheated air rushed past; the essence of darkness binding with the energy of matter as Reis concentrated all her magical power upon one minuscule point. Day turned to night as the light was thrown into the vortex of force; the immense power gathered launched at Sin with fury.

There was a pause, a sudden silence, as the spell rushed at Sin's exposed fin; a moment of inactivity, before the entire fin was reduced to ashes, leaving a cascade of dark crystals behind to fall into the wine-dark sea. Reis was surrounded by a flash of white light, slamming into the wall of the ship cabin before crumpling onto the floor, breathing labouredly.

'Reis…? Are you alright…?' Yuna asked, seeing the bare dragoner writhe on the floor, as though in great pain.

'She's hurt! Get some help, now!' Lulu shouted to the men on the deck, who jumped and ran under deck, 'And better hurry, too. Look at her face, she's coughing blood as well,'

_Is it really that bad…? I just feel…exhausted. Can't feel my leg…or arm…I can't move them._

'Her skin…dear Yevon…she's going cold!'

_I can't…feel…a thing…_

'Hurry up, you lazy sailors!'

_My sight…everything's fading…_

_

* * *

_

'Reis…?'

'Thank Yevon, she's alive,'

'We thought you were gone for sure,'

'Ugh…my head…' Reis muttered, sitting up. She was in some obliterated town; all its buildings, built on stilts in the water, were in ruins; the bridges linking them were totally destroyed in some parts.

'You're safe now, Yuna cured you in the end,' she heard the voice of Lulu say, 'Those mangy curs of sailors…they did not even fetch a single priest,'

'And…what happened to Sin?'

'You drove it away,' Yuna said, 'You drove it away with that spell that you did,'

'I never knew spells could borrow from the life force of the caster itself,' Lulu trilled, 'Being a black magic user for some time, that was the first time I've seen someone use their life energy to boost the spell's power. Not that I would like to do that, seeing as what you've done to yourself after doing exactly that,'

'Well, I feel better now,' Reis mumbled, standing up. This wasn't true; she still had a headache and could not think at all.

'Sin destroy Kilika,' Kimahri growled, bowing his head, 'Sin killed most of Kilika people,'

_So this village is Kilika…and I can see why Sin is so feared…he's leveled the entire town._

'Yuna, the unsent…' a villager said, tugging at the summoner's sleeve.

'Oh…alright,'

_The…unsent?_

'The unsent are the souls of the dead. They cannot reach the Farplane if they are not directed by a summoner,' Lulu explained, following Yuna, 'Come, you will see what I mean,'

Yuna stepped onto the water; standing on top of the coffins of the dead, she began to dance. A slow, graceful dance, dragging her staff in circular motions along the still surface of the debris-filled water; twirling the wooden rod above her head as she spun and leapt on the calm surface, the sparkling pyreflies gathered around her, flying off in a uniform direction as she finished her dance with a final thrust into the air.

'I hope I did well,' Yuna said, bowing to Lulu.

'You did fine, don't worry about it too much,' Lulu comforted her, 'As long as all the souls are sent, it is fine,'

'What happens if the souls remain unsent?' Reis asked, scratching her head, 'Does it do anything bad?'

'Well…the souls of the dead grow jealous of the living; they yearn for life…and for the afterlife as well. Unable to leave for the afterlife and yet still in the world of the living, they eventually become fiends in their revenge on the living. Cursed as they are, it is a pity to know that the fiends were once part of our society…'

'Where I come from, the souls of the departed simply crystallize,'

'That would explain why the fiends you kill turn into sparkling stones,' Yuna mused, walking into the Kilika inn, which had somehow avoided destruction, 'We'll stay here for today,'


	36. Flame of the Soul

'Beowulf…how long will it be until I can see you again…?' Reis mumbled in her sleep, tossing and turning in her bed, 'I can't stand waiting and longing for you, I don't want to be alone…I don't want to be friendless…I want to be with you again…just once…'

Waking up, dripping in cold sweat, Reis shook her head and lightly hopped off her bed. Slipping on her silk and wool dress, she walked outside into the ruined walkways of Kilika.

Sparkling insects that Yuna and Lulu called 'pyreflies' hovered everywhere; they were…beautiful, in their own right, sparkling and shimmering as they flew through the air. Catching one, Reis dropped it in shock; on the contrary to its warm appearance, it was as cold as ice; and upon contact with her skin, it had frozen to a crystalline form, glowing light blue in the moonlight, before falling to the ground and breaking into a million minuscule shards.

Sitting down on the edge of a walkway, Reis dipped her feet into the warm tropical waters. Staring up at the pale, round face of the moon, she began to wonder…was the death of Beowulf a price to pay for her sinfulness? The separation that bites and gnaws away at her heart, day and night, every single day?

_No…That can't be right…_

_Can it? You've killed many people, Reis. Many people indeed, and sealing their souls into eternal damnation…_

'She's a dragon, Yuna,'

Reis stood up at these words. Crouching low, she crept towards the source of the noise, finding two moonlit figures standing on the wooden pontoon of the port. One had voluminous robes that seemed to be composed of many, and the other's frill was visibly frizzy. They were talking at a very high pace, albeit rather quietly. Squeezing herself against a wall of a house, Reis listened to what they were saying.

'What if she was a dragon?'

'Dragons are fiends, they're dangerous,'

'She's never done any harm to us,'

'You will never know,'

'She's not a fiend, nor is she entirely a dragon,'

'Yuna, it is once said that your opponents hide before they strike. I don't trust the motives of this…dragon girl. She must be a fiend,'

'She is not a fiend. Nor is she evil, for that matter, Lulu. My mind is set. She will be my guardian, whether you like it or not,'

'Please yourself, Yuna, but I am only concerned with your well-being and safety,'

'Thank you, Lulu. Be more appreciative of your fellow guardians, please. We don't want in-fighting, we want integrity. And peace,'

Squashing herself even closer to the wall, Reis held her breath as the two women walked past her, not noticing her slender form in the dark shadows. Her face burned with anger.

_A fiend? Is that what Lulu thinks of me? A simple, foul beast, monster, creature? I am more than that! I have feelings, just as normal humans do! I…I'm normal, aren't I? To the extent that I do have a human form, and not a foul beast's?_

Creeping back into the inn, Reis climbed up the staircase silently, avoiding the gaze of the two women as they chatted by the open window; slipping back into her bed, she began to doze off…

Waking up early the following morning, Reis ran down the stairs, tucking the Esthar blade in the inside lining of her dress. Lulu's words still rang clearly in her ears; the words of cruelty, the words of intolerance.

_I will change the way she thinks of that today…_

'Fiends!' a little boy cried, 'Fiends are coming to Kilika! Help, tall sister!'

'Where from?' Reis demanded, 'Where?'

'Over there!' the little boy said, pointing at the jungle.

'I'll check it out,' Reis muttered, drawing out the energy saber with a flourish and running forwards at a high speed, the shining edge of the blade trailing behind her as she leapt off the wooden pontoons and spread her wings, flying towards the dense vegetation.

'Your fate is sealed!' she roared, slashing downwards on a Flan, parting the jelly-like creature into two halves, then incinerating it with a good blast of her fiery breath. Holding out her hand, she drew the resultant red crystal towards her palm, crushing it to leave only crimson powder, fine and sand-like.

'Reis! Why are you out here this early?' Yuna cried out from behind a tree, 'I thought you were still at Kilika,'

'I'm sorry, Yuna. A little child asked for assistance to kill some threatening fiends,'

'A noble cause, but you must never abandon your charge,' Lulu said from behind Yuna, crossing her arms, 'Remember, the summoner is worth your life,'

'Alright, I'll keep that in mind,'

The group advanced through the dense jungle, Kimahri in the lead, batting aside fallen trees and swatting down large, flying fiends with easy sweeps of his heavy pole arm. Once or twice Yuna was attacked by falling flans, only to be defended by Reis' powerful blade.

_Flesh and metal are but water to this blade…it must contain some sort of hidden power within…_

'High Summoner Ohalland came from this temple,' Lulu said, pointing to a stone structure built on the top of a high mountain, 'Kilika Temple. The temple of fire,'

_Temple of fire? But I can't see any fires…_

'Up the stairs, Yuna,' Lulu said, sweeping her hand towards a long, winding staircase up the side of the mountain.

'Yes, Lulu, I will,'

The staircase was built of a black volcanic rock; pitted, worn and eroded, they were in some places nearly impossible to walk upon. Peering over the edge of the top step, Reis spotted…

'Sinspawn! Duck!' Lulu screamed, pushing Yuna onto the floor. A large plant grew out of the crater in the center of the paved square at the top of the staircase, flailing two large tentacles around in the air with terrifying speed. Reis bravely advanced, holding her energy saber in a defensive stance. Parrying each blow that descended towards her from the limbs of the plant; slashing furiously at the stump of the tentacles, she severed both of them in two fell sweeps, causing the flailing plant matter to collapse and shrivel up, dry and withered.

The plant spitted acid into Reis' face, causing her to stagger backward blindly in pain. Howling in agony, the dragoner rubbed her eyes desperately, just as a tentacle slammed down on her head. Furious and regaining her eyesight, the dragoner pointed the shining blade at the creature.

'The doom of a planet…Crush Punch!'

The creature exploded into broken fragments of plant matter, sap and splinters thick in the air as the pieces flew outwards. It was as though a giant had trodden on the now-dismembered plant-animal; scattered everywhere, the pieces had frozen into hard, shining black crystals.

'Reis…?' Wakka mumbled, stepping up uncertainly, 'Are you alright? Your head is bleeding…and your eyes are badly bloodshot. Take a rest, ya?'

_They are…? Heh, I don't even feel any pain…_

'I'm not quite sure if I'm actually hurt. I don't feel any pain at all,'

'Better to wipe off the blood anyway before you come to the temple, it's disrespectful to Yevon, ya?'

Nodding, Reis wiped off some of the blood from her face with the sleeve of her dress; casting a minor Cure spell, she sealed the wounds in a breeze of healing power.

'Now we'd better move on to the temple,'

Kilika temple was different to Besaid's; it was built of stone as well, however it was sunk into the ground. Chanting could be heard from the depths of the dark prayer hall, low and repetitive. Two people were striding up from the hall, one in robes and the other wielding an enormous hammer.

'Well, well, well…what do we have here? A summoner with a rabble for guardians,' the summoner mocked, causing Kimahri and Wakka to step forward, only to be held back by Lulu and Reis, 'I, for one, feel no need for such numbers. You must be very inexperienced to need so many,'

'There is safety in numbers, Lady Donna,' Yuna said, smiling, 'I believe that having many is not a sign of weakness at all,'

'Weakness? You've plenty of that, foolish one. Numbers is a sign of infirmity,' Donna laughed, while her guardian cackled foolishly.

'Watch your words, disrespectful woman,' Reis snarled, still restraining Kimahri from bringing down his halberd with vengeance upon Donna's head, 'You may be a summoner, and you a guardian, but that gives no more right to insult others. You are an example! A mentor! Someone that the rest of the people can look upon! Get your act together, fools,'

'Says who?' Donna hissed, staring coldly at Reis, 'You're a mere guardian, what can you say about your superiors, the summoners?'

'Says me. And I—am not a mere guardian. I am a person, as you can clearly see; not a slave, not a fiend, and not just a mere guardian,'

'Barthello! Teach this foolish girl a lesson she will never forget!' Donna yelled to her guardian, looking livid, 'You will see for yourself—what punishment guardians will have if they insult their superiors!'

'Yes, ma'am,' Barthello grunted, slamming his hammer into Reis' chest. Winded, the dragoner stumbled backwards, clutching at her heart; eyes narrowing in cold fury, she struck the hammer head with her open hand as it came down again, breaking the head clean off the handle. Staring fearfully at the broken handle, Barthello moved backwards, holding his hands up as the furious woman moved forwards.

'Your underhanded attack sickens me,' Reis growled, grasping the whimpering guardian by his arms and catapulting him against a stone pillar, 'You will pay for it,'

'Mercy please, madam,' Barthello begged, squashed against the pillar, casting a fearful glance at the round stone in Reis' hand, 'Please don't throw that at me,'

'I have said before that you will pay—and I keep my word,' Reis roared, throwing the rock with all her might towards the hapless guardian. The stone pierced the pillar half an inch above Barthello's head, leaving only a perfectly circular hole; a palm tree behind it collapsed as the stone split its trunk cleanly into two halves.

'Get yourselves out of here before my anger peaks,' Reis snarled at Donna, licking a dribble of her own blood from her mouth, 'Now!'

They left in a hurry, Donna berating Barthello soundly for his failure as a guardian as they descended the stairs; Yuna and her guardians simply stared at Reis as she sat down and collected her own blood in a small bottle of glass. Slipping the bottle away in her dress, Reis bowed to Yuna, motioning her to the temple. Smiling weakly, the summoner walked into the stone building, her guardians stony-faced and inexpressive.

'Reis…' Lulu said, 'I know you overheard us talking during the night,'

'What about it?'

'I'd like to take back what I said about you…being a possible fiend and insecure person,'

'And what if I don't want to accept it?' Reis laughed evilly, 'What if you don't really mean what you have just said? From my point of view, what you've said during the night is what you really feel. Are you sure that Yuna hadn't told you to say this to me?'

'I'm sincere,'

'And I don't think you are,' Reis said, with definite finality.

'Come, you people, the Cloister of Trials,' Wakka whispered to the two, glancing at the disgusted faces of the people around them, 'Let's get away from here,'

The Kilika labyrinth was nothing like the Besaid labyrinth; a large wooden door stood in front of them as soon as they entered, with two red spheres set into the pedestal in the middle. Yuna pulled one out, inserting it into the slot in the wall; a pulse of fire shot from it and along the line traced on the floor, igniting the door. Angry flames blazed forth from the floor, engulfing the entire wooden object in searing heat. Shielding her eyes from the blaze, Yuna pulled out the fiery orb again, and the flames subsided; leaving only ash in the place of the door.

There were three sphere-holders in the next hall; Yuna stared at all three, wondering which one to insert the ball into.

'Try each,' Kimahri growled, putting the other orb into the left one, where it launched a trail of fire across the room, which slipped under the center wall. A loud blast was audible from the other side, and sparks flew under the small cavity under the wall.

'Kimahri, pull it out again…at least we now know that there's something behind that,' Lulu muttered, placing Yuna's orb into the right side; nothing happened. Kimahri extracted the sphere inserted where he was, and threw it into the center slot. A blazing red line traced itself on the wall, forming a cross-shaped symbol ringed by elaborate and intricate patterns of arcane symbols; something that Reis had seen before. Stepping forward, Yuna removed the sphere, touching the resultant black mark on the wall with her hand.

A wave of green light spread outwards along the wall, which slid out of the way, revealing a large chamber; lava flowed along the gap in the center, bubbling and sending out large fountains of fire periodically. Holding the orb, Reis approached the pedestal close to the river of flame, holding her arm out to let her dangling sleeve protect her eyes from the intense glare of the fire. Inserting the orb quickly into the pedestal, Reis was amazed to see that the lava had subsided entirely; not a single pool of heated rock left behind. A staircase had materialised in front of her, leading down into where the lava had been.

'Well, no other way to go,' Reis muttered, gathering her courage and leaping into the gap. Sighing in relief as the lava did not return, the dragoner moved forwards, followed by the others.

'The Fayth is close ahead…I can see the door…' Wakka said, pointing at the steel door ahead of them, 'Let's go, Yuna,'

'Yes,'

_Yuna…I pity her…she has to pray at each temple for days on end…When can she rest? This time she prayed for nearly a week, while us guardians simply waited. The poor thing…she was nearly dead by the time she staggered out. Rest she needs, and food and water. I gave her my blood potion in the hope of giving her some of my gift—the blessing of life and energy._


	37. Blitzball

'Well, where are we going to now?' Reis asked Wakka as they descended the steps of the Kilika temple.

'We're going to Luca, the second-largest city in Spira,' Yuna said, her staff landing on each step with a soft clunk.

'And you'd better not make any trouble there, both of you, Tidus and Reis,' Lulu muttered.

'What trouble did I make?' Reis said, raising her voice, indignant.

'You threw a rock at another summoner's guardian,'

'So? He hit me hard with that hammer of his,'

'You didn't have to break his weapon or threaten him,'

'Oh, be quiet. You're no different, talking about me as though I'm a fiend,'

'You both…what have I told you before? We don't want in-fighting among ourselves,' Yuna said, clapping a hand over Lulu's mouth.

* * *

Boarding the ship, Yuna turned back one last time towards Kilika. There was a sad look in her green and blue eyes that Reis had never seen before; although she was familiar with that feeling. Yuna had never shown a single hint of sadness before, and this expression was completely different to the Yuna Reis knew. It was…longing, almost to the extent of not being able to see something again.

'Yuna…? Is something wrong?' Reis asked her, looking straight into her eyes.

'No, it's alright, Reis, it's nothing,'

'Alright…'

Climbing the stairs down to under the deck, Reis entered her cabin. Jumping into the hammock hanging on the side, she began to sleep, the ship's motion rocking her slightly with each thrust of its paddle wheels.

Moments later, her cabin door opened with a loud creak, causing Reis to sit bolt upright. Yuna stood framed in the narrow doorway, stepping into the room and closing the door softly behind her. Sitting down on the foot of Reis' hammock, she stared at the ceiling.

'That potion you gave me…what was in it? I feel as though…I was reborn, full of energy. And yet…there is a sadness that grows in me, that I think you possess as well. I felt anger when Lulu made her disrespectful comments…it is as though…a part of you is in me,' Yuna said, tears flowing down her cheeks, 'I felt your sorrows. I felt your emotions. I felt your longing for someone that you loved—someone that I don't know. It doesn't feel right…to be delving into someone else's memories, to be looking into their past…Is there anything you can do about it?'

_I've never realised the healing potion that I had made with my own blood…would have such an unintentional effect…I'm sorry, Yuna…_

'I'm sorry…' Reis whispered into her ear, grasping Yuna's hand with her own, 'I never thought it had such an adverse effect on others…I've only drunk this myself, and I thought it had no such effects…'

_Lies. Lies! Reis, you lie! You've used this exact same potion on Edea! How many lives will you ruin like this? How many lives will you condemn to seeing and feeling thoughts that you have, to be possessed by sadness?_

'Reis…don't blame yourself for it, I can understand that you're only trying to help me,' Yuna muttered, pushing herself away from the dragoner and exiting the cabin.

_She's feeling sorry for me. Am I really being that hard on myself? No…I'm only being realistic…This is what I've done, and these are the consequences. _

'Reis? Be rested for the Blitzball tournament, ya?' Wakka called out from the other side of the door, 'It's going to be a long, hard day tomorrow,'

_Is Blitzball really that exhausting?_

'If that's so, then I'd better make more blood potion…' Reis mumbled to herself, jumping out of her hammock and drawing out a glass bottle and a silver knife. Positioning the bottle on a table, she held her wrist over the top of the bottle. Biting her leather glove, she cut down hard on her hand, spattering the table with her blood and then carefully positioning the bottle with an unsteady hand, catching as much of her own blood as was possible. Panting, she extracted a bandage from the box labeled 'Besaid Aurochs' on the hammock next to hers, wrapping her wounded hand in the white linen. Cutting some excess bandage off, she wiped off the blood from the table, before collecting the bottle and putting a cork over it.

Putting her uninjured hand into her pocket, Reis pulled out several Sinscale crystals, crushing them to powder before adding them to her blood. The mixture steamed and bubbled, settling down minutes later to be a thick, ruby-red liquid. Shaking this for fifteen minutes, she licked up the blood on her injured hand that seeped down past the bandage.

_That coppery taste…How familiar I am with it…_

'Reis? Is everything alright?' Yuna shouted from behind the door, 'I thought I heard something,'

'Nothing, Yuna, it's alright,'

'Alright then. Have a good sleep, tomorrow morning we're arriving before dawn at Luca,'

_She can really sense my feelings now…what I feel, she feels. I wonder if it's the same with thoughts…

* * *

_

'Wake up, Reis!' Wakka said, shaking her body, 'We're at Luca,'

'Already…?' Reis yawned, rubbing her eyes, 'It's so early…'

'I've told you, Yuna, she isn't worthy to be a guardian,' Lulu commented, shooting her a look of pure venom.

_Why does she dislike me so much…?_

'Come, you all, up. Tidus, Wakka and Reis have to be in the Luca Blitzball Stadium before 7 a.m.' Yuna called out cheerfully, skipping up to the deck. Only Kimahri and Lulu seemed to be as energetic as Yuna; the others were half-asleep, yawning and stretching as they ascended to the deck.

Luca was a far larger city than what Reis had thought; built of glistening white rock, embellished in blue and gold, the entire city could have well served as the imperial capital of Ivalice. The docks were packed with ships, large and small, sailing or powered by paddle wheels. Thousands thronged the area, human adults bartering with the smaller folk that they called the 'Al Bhed', great furred creatures similar to Kimahri, varied in colours; it was nearly a sort of crossroads for the entire world.

'This—is Luca. The second largest city in Spira, after Bevelle,' Wakka said to Reis, jumping down onto the dock, 'Come, let's have a look around, we've got a while until the tournament starts,'

'Alright,'

Wakka led Reis around the city, showing her the finest and largest city she had ever seen. Although the dragoner had never had fondness for civilisation or large gatherings, she was quite impressed at the way that they managed to build everything without 'machina'—tools or machines that the Al Bhed invented, said to be sacrilegious to their religion.

'It's almost time for the Blitzball tournament,' a little child shouted to his friends, running towards the stadium, 'Come on, let's go,'

'That means us too, Reis. Let's go,'

Back at the stadium, Reis was at a loss of what to wear for the Blitzball tournament. Her linen and wool dress was definitely not a good thing to wear; absorbent of water, would weigh her down; Wakka had explained to her that this was a sport in water.

'Try this,' Letty, a teammate, said, 'It might fit you,'

Closing the changing cubicle door, she slipped off her dress, putting on the tight-fitting garment that Letty gave her. It fitted fine, allowing most movements, although extremely uncomfortable in the fact that they squeezed her breasts and seemed to pull her legs as she moved.

The team wolf-whistled as Reis emerged from the changing cubicle, holding a thumbs-up towards her and smiling widely. Smiling back, she walked up to Wakka, who was busy putting on a half-glove on his right hand.

'Wakka…I'd like to ask you about the rules…'

'Yes, I'd forgotten to explain that to you…' Wakka murmured, slipping on his left glove, 'In Blitzball, the main objective is to put the ball-(he shows a blue ball, about a foot across)-through the triangular-shaped goal at the other end. There are five players per side; plus a goalkeeper. You will be in the midfield position, which means that you are at the most forward position of the five. Your purpose will be to put the ball through the goal—unless if you want to pass it to another team member. This person here, Tidus…he claims that he's a player from a city that has been destroyed nearly one thousand years ago…I don't trust him, but nevertheless, he is quite trained from what I can see…'

'Alright, I got it. So when are we playing?'

'Right after this. We're kind of doomed right now; we're facing the team that's been champion for ten years in a row,'

_Champion for ten years in a row…that's probably really good…? I'd like to break their winning streak…_

'It's been a while since I'd played here…This will be my last time. I will be a full-time guardian, for the rest of my life!' Wakka shouted out to the team, which stared at him, thunderstruck, 'I've wasted enough time and effort trying to get the Crystal Cup, the trophy of this tournament…I should've done something else that mattered more…but anyway, let's go, team, we're up now,'

Opening a small door at the back of the change room, Wakka opened a steel hatch in the floor, revealing a well-like hole, filled with water. Diving in, the rest of the team followed the leader, leaving Reis to be the last one out.

_This is freezing…The water's so cold…and yet I can breathe…there must be some sort of magic that they've put into the water._

'And here are the Besaid Aurochs!' the announcer blared out on his megaphone, amid the roaring cheer of the crowd, 'The losers of the past decade! Will they be back to lose again?'

'Oh yes, I think they will lose again. They couldn't even defeat the Ronso Rage last year, and they were the second worst Blitzing team in existence before,' the other announcer said.

The crowd's laughing burned into Reis' ears, causing her anger to stack up a little more than usual. Wakka was apparently had the same thoughts coursing through his mind; his fists were clenched, and he was gritting his teeth. Looking forwards, Reis caught a glimpse of the other team; smug, grinning fools, idiotic-looking, they appeared to be the least likeable people in the entire world. One of them thrust their middle finger up in a rude gesture, to the amusement of the crowd.

_This is most unacceptable…On the team's honour and my own; I will defeat them in this match._

'Are you ready, Reis?' Wakka shouted in the water, 'The game's about to start. Hurry, go to the front, you're in the midfield position. Just grab the ball as soon as it comes down, and rush to the other side's goals. Do not let go of the ball unless you're hitting it into the goals,'

'I got it,'

_I'll show them how it's done…_

'It appears that the Aurochs have two newcomers! Let's see how they fare today, shall we?'

'I'm sure we shall see some new talent here, pal! That's if they've picked up a better recruitment agent, ha!'

_I'll see about that!_

'3…2…1…Blitzoff!'

Reis lunged forward as the ball shot upward, knocking aside her opponent's scrabbling hands as she grabbed the ball. Swimming forwards as fast as she could, shooting careful glances left and right as her opponents dived and lurched forward in an attempt to tackle the dragoner; only to be deftly dodged by her heightened combat reflexes. Tossing the ball into the sky, she locked her other wrist in place—a fraction of a second of silence, as her hand whistled in a wide arc onto the ball, striking it towards the goal, about twenty metres away. Shooting forward at an incredible speed towards the hapless goalkeeper, the blue sphere barreled into the poor man, scoring a point for the Aurochs when the man—and the ball—entered the triangle of metal, speeding out of the other side.

'Have you ever seen anything like that! The Auroch midfielder has just scored a goal from the middle of the Blitz arena, and to add injury to insult, knocked the Luca Goers' goalkeeper through the goal!'

'Nope, nothing like it,' the other commentator shouted, 'This time round they do have a secret weapon,'

The crowd cheered as the Luca Goers' midfielder gained possession of the ball; Reis sped towards him, approaching with malevolent intent.

'Take this!' she roared, as she dived forward, wresting the ball out of his hands, before speeding off again in the opposite direction, 'Tidus, catch!'

The blond teammate swam forward on his side, clutching the blue ball in his stomach before moving towards the Goers' undefended goal; the goalkeeper was still out cold after his head bumped against the metal edge of the goals. Tossing the ball, Tidus somersaulted in the water, striking the ball hard with his shin, causing it to shoot off three metres off the goal.

'Oh, you useless thing! Let me show you how it's done,' Reis growled, pushing her way past the opposing team, grasping the ball, 'Prepare for this…'

Dropping the ball, she threw her weight into one heavy kick, knocking the goalkeeper's unresisting body out of the goalposts; the ball soared into the goals with absurd ease, scoring another point for the Aurochs.

_I can see my teammates clapping their hands together…I've scored two points against the best team in this world…They're not that hard, at all…_

'Wakka! Wakka! We want Wakka!' the crowd chanted, amid the raucous comments of the two commentators. Shrugging her shoulders, Reis swam back to the Aurochs' change room, patting Wakka on the shoulder as she passed him.

'You did very well, Reis. It's time for me to take over…'

_I hope you do well, Wakka…_

Pulling off the drenched outfit that she wore, Reis put a leg through her skirt, shaking her flowing golden sheets as she put the other one through. Brushing her hair with a hairbrush conjured out of energy; she blinked into the mirror on the wall.

_That had to be one of the fastest and roughest sports that I've played, not that I've played many…well, unless you include fighting, of course._

Yuna was nowhere to be seen as Reis sat down in one of the seats, among the crowd of cheering and whistling crowd. Neither was Lulu or Kimahri. Looking onto the game, she could see that the Aurochs were struggling without her; the score was already even at three for both sides.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the aura of festivities, from the direction of the stadium entryway.

'Fiends!' a man screamed, 'Fiends have invaded the stadium!'

_Fiends? How can they enter this large city so easily?_

'Step aside,' Reis muttered to the child next to her, 'I'll exterminate them,'

'Weren't you the best Blitzballer on the Aurochs' team?' the child piped up, 'You're so cool!'

'Yes, but, please, step aside,'

'Ok, catch you around!'

A stinging pain tore through Reis' mind as her right shoulder was ripped by a sharp claw; a stone-skinned dragon stood in the doorway, glaring straight into her face.

_This is not one of my family…This is not one of my blood…This is a fiend, a monster, a cursed soul…_

'You will perish today! The doom of a planet…Crush Punch!'

The beast exploded in a shower of body parts and blood as the holy energy shredded its form to pieces. Holding out her hand, Reis gathered the crystal shards left behind in her palm, attracting them to her hand with a pulse of magic. Holding up the large blue crystal in the air, she began to chant an enchantment she had not used for a long time.

_Perhaps not even in my lifetime…but…how did I know this? I just know…somehow, its effects and its power…_

'Fire, ice and lightning, wind and the earth, light and darkness, combine as one! Crush the evil as the planet's defence!'

Instantly the day turned to night; angry storm clouds gathered overhead as the spell took hold. Still chanting, Reis stepped back slightly in fear as a lightning bolt struck the flying fiend next to her, roasting its flesh into dark ashes. Steeling her heart, she continued the chanting, until at the last moment, she brandished her light blade out, sweeping it in a circle about her; drawing the shape of a five-pointed star on the ground, she resumed her chanting, stabbing the centre as she finished her seventh round.

Flaming shards of rock and freezing javelins of ice rained down on the stadium, impaling all the creatures without mercy; shrieks of the defeated and dying fiends could be heard, ringing around the building as the unforgiving barrage continued; a piece of soul crystal struck her face as a dragon five metres to her left exploded in an inferno, a blazing meteorite having fallen through its body. Holding out her hand, Reis began to gather all the crystals of the fiends; immediately thousands of tiny fragments gathered in her palm, growing as bits of soul attached themselves together in one sphere in her hand. At last, the shower of death had stopped, leaving not a trace of damage on the stadium itself, but numerous corpses of fiends lying scattered on the tiles of the building. Reis heaved a vast crystal into the seat, nearly as tall as herself; shimmering and sparkling in the sunlight, in its various colours; green, red, blue, black and silver.

_This would be very useful as a magical artifact, I think…_

'Reis?' Yuna asked, her staff clunking on the entryway floor, 'How did all the fiends die so quickly? The crusaders have just arrived, only to find corpses of fiends on the ground. Only you could have done this; for when we kill them, they leave no body; they simply depart for the afterlife. Please, tell us. We're not angry, quite the opposite, really,'

'Ah…' Reis stuttered, collapsing into a seat, 'It's…well, I used a spell that I have learned…somehow…years, decades…maybe centuries ago, I don't know how. I just…felt like I could do it…I felt that…I knew how to do it. I've never learned it in reading, I can tell you that much,'

'It's still a good thing that you cast that, Reis,' Lulu mumbled from behind Yuna, 'You prevented many deaths today by slaying the fiends…I salute you,'

_She's saying sorry…but I don't believe her. They say the eye is the window to one's soul; well, Lulu's is still hard and cold as ice._

'Let's go,' Reis said, standing up, grasping her mangled shoulder; blood flowed steadily down her dress. Stumbling as she descended a step, Yuna caught her about the chest, bringing her up to a sitting position.

'You need to be healed first,' Yuna said fearfully, as she pulled away from her and saw her hands, immersed in blood, 'Healing breeze, come and refresh! Cura!'

The torn flesh and skin closed and healed as the spell took hold; blood stopped flowing and the pain ceased. Helping Reis to stand, Yuna and Lulu walked out of the stadium, to be met by Wakka, Kimahri and Tidus, and a mysterious red-jacketed man, who joined them as they walked into the golden sunlight outside…


	38. Mi'ihen Highroad

'Reis. It is time,' Yuna said, checking the clock that hung on the wall of the Luca Stadium, 'We must leave for Djose, or we won't make it to the inn on the highest hill on the Highroad,'

'It is that time already?' Reis mumbled, glancing up at the clock for a moment, as she tucked her shining blade beneath the folds of her robes, 'Wait…I've forgotten something. I'll be back in a moment,'

Sprinting agilely up the staircase leading up to the Luca Stadium's seats, she spotted the vast soul crystal that she had created during the previous battle; pulsating a dim blue light, it had turned black; the same glittering, sparkling black that she had seen from the rare black dragons of Ivalice. Heaving the vast stone under her arm, she walked back towards the waiting group, who shrugged their shoulders as Reis arrived, panting, placing the crystal on the ground.

'This…is very heavy…' Yuna said, tapping the side of the stone with her staff, 'Are you sure you want to carry this, Reis?'

'Yes, I'm sure. Hold on, can you give me a second? I'll make our travels a tiny bit easier,' Reis panted, both hands on her knees, 'By the power of the spirits, grant me invisibility!'

Pulling off her robes and folding them into a neat pile, she stacked it on top of the large crystal. Her limbs lengthened and her golden hair receded back into her scalp as she transformed into a dragon; her smooth skin turned into rough, hard silver scales. Reappearing in their midst, she bent her legs to a crouching position, allowing Yuna and the others to climb onto her back, with all their belongings.

_It's not that bad, like this…if I were carrying vast loads. But who is this red-robed man that has joined Yuna? Is he another guardian?_

'Where are we traveling to?' Reis growled.

'Mi'ihen Highroad. It's just up ahead, past that fountain and down the path there,'

'Are all our belongings secured?'

'No, I don't think so…Have we got some rope?'

'Here,' Reis hissed, spitting out some magical energy from her mouth, a thin thread of light, which she tossed to Yuna, 'That should serve as rope,'

_Ouch, can they be a little gentler with the ropes? They're constricting me. Especially the ones passing in front of my hind legs, they're biting into my scales._

'Hold on tight,' she roared, spreading her wings with unnecessary force and nearly knocking Tidus from her back, 'Let's go,'

Beating her wings furiously, Reis took off fast into the sky; Luca's large buildings grew smaller as she soared higher into the sky. The cold air was refreshing—at least to her, until she noticed that the others grew restless; only Kimahri seemed to be unmoving, still sitting still behind Yuna on her neck. She could just picture him staring curiously at the others, wondering why they were shivering.

'I guess we're a little too high. I'll go down. Is that the Highroad?' Reis growled, pointing her long, sharp-fanged snout downwards, towards a broad dirt road below; it was a brown path traced on a plain of green, dotted every now and then with a mysterious ruin of some foregone civilisation.

'That would be good, Reis, yes, I am cold,' Yuna shouted over the whistling of the wind; she shivered violently on Reis' neck, clutching at her scales rather tightly.

_I guess it's not good for humans to be so far up here…_

Flying low over the grassy countryside, Reis was fairly amused to see a number of chocobo riders fall off their mounts; staring and pointing at her.

_It's not something you'd see, is it? A world, used to seeing hostile fiends, seeing a dragon that they think is a fiend carrying a summoner and her guardians. No, definitely not common._

'We'll be at the middle inn before sundown. This is good,' Yuna said, stroking Reis' neck scales, 'Thank you, Reis,'

'You're welcome, Yuna,'

_A fiend is down below…I think I'll just end its life…now! Ah…I think I've overdone myself with a fire breath. The creature is burnt to death, smouldering and smoking. Lulu is cursing on my back; I just wish that I can smash her brains out. She rides on me, and yet she complains. Ungrateful wretch…_

The ground was beginning to slant upwards, a slope that provided no challenge to a flying dragon. There were statues of foregone heroes erected on either side of this stretch, eternally vigilant, their weapons held ready to strike at any moment. The clear blue sky overhead was staining orange, slowly but surely, as the sun dipped lower into the horizon. Sea spray from the shore on one side of Reis dampened her leathery wings, weighing her down and forcing her to land hard on the ground. Tidus' incoherent cursing could be heard loud and clear; he had fallen off as she touched down. Picking him up with the tip of her jaws, she placed him carefully on her back, before dashing off towards the inn on the hill, her tail swinging from side to side with each bounding step she took.

Striding over the crest of the hill, she found a large inn to her right; chocobos strolled freely on the field behind, pecking at the ground every few moments. Crouching on the ground again, Reis allowed the others to dismount; she felt a particularly painful stabbing sensation on her right wing as Lulu climbed off; she had a nasty feeling that Lulu had deliberately stepped hard on her wing as she dismounted.

Dislodging all of their luggage onto the grass as carefully as it was possible, she vanished into thin air, extracting her clothes from the piles of belongings. Slipping on her gown, she reappeared in front of them.

'Reis, thank you for the ride,' Yuna said, bowing to her and praying in the fashion that these people did, 'Your shoulder…it's bleeding…'

'Oh…really?' Reis muttered, putting her hand on her right shoulder, feeling the patch of wet and warm cloth there, 'Oh…right…'

_Damn Lulu…was it necessary that she had to step on my wing that hard?_

'Healing breeze, blow in energy! Cure!' she chanted, tapping the wound with her finger. Gritting her teeth as the skin closed together again, painfully, Reis rubbed the dried and sealed wound, checking if it had healed properly.

'Who was sitting next to my right wing?' she asked, nearly growling as she bit back her anger. She knew it was Lulu.

'I was sitting next to your wing,' Lulu said, 'Why do you ask?'

'I felt a stabbing sensation as someone climbed off my back. I assumed that was you; nobody else has a sharp, stiletto-heeled shoe,'

'Why do you accuse me of doing so?'

'Does anybody else here hate me? Did anybody except you have doubts about me? Has anybody heard you say cruel comments about me?' Reis mocked, 'Enough of this. I will pay for the inn for tonight,'

Reis walked into the inn, suppressing her anger and hatred of the black mage as she rented four first-class rooms for a night with twenty thousand gil; the owner bowed to her as she left, his porters following her out and lugging their luggage into their respective rooms. Tossing them each three thousand, the porters whistled and sang about the goodness of the lady.

'Good Yevon…Reis, how much money did you spend?' Yuna asked her, staring at the lavish decorations in her room, 'This…this is the first time I've been in the first-rate room of the Traveler's Inn!'

'Well…money doesn't matter to me anymore. I've made several million gil during my youth; spending fifty-three thousand is nothing to me,'

'Thank you so much, Reis. I didn't think we could even rent a normal room in here, seeing as Wakka didn't get the prize money from the tournament as we expected,'

Guilt gripped at Reis' stomach. She could have made them win that time. She could've stayed in the game and defeated their opponents, and won them whatever prize they deserved.

'Well…I'll see what I can do about dinner,' Reis said, trying to get away from a most uncomfortable situation.

_It's my fault that they failed to win that tournament. I could've easily made them win. Why, why did I decide to leave, to allow Wakka in? Anyone else could've left…_

'Excuse me,' Reis asked the innkeeper, 'Are there any wild chocobos that nobody owns out there?'

'Why, yes. The ones in the field behind this inn without the saddles are for our clients to hunt. There's thousands of them on this plain.

'Thank you,'

Walking out into the crimson twilight, Reis grasped the grass at her feet; squeezing out their sap, she dabbed it at her face.

_That should be enough to cover my face…_

Crouching low, she crept in the tall grass of the field, her nose close to the ground. Sniffing the air for clues of any chocobos, she found one pecking the ground some distance away. Creeping forward, slowly, licking her lips, she held out one hand--

'Break space and time! Stop!' she muttered under her breath, sighing in relief that the chocobo had become stock-still; only its eyes were moving. Approaching silently, she stroked the chocobo's neck…before grasping it hard, twisting it all the way around in a fraction of a second. A sickening crack later, the chocobo was on the ground, its neck twisted the wrong way and its tongue lolling out the side of its beak, its spine having been broken.

Dragging the dead chocobo back towards the inn, she had noticed that there was a fire burning behind it; a cooking fire, a spit having been placed over the top. A pair of hunters were roasting chunks of chocobo meat over it, but gaped at Reis' prey. They were amazed to see a female huntress; and more so of the bloodless kill.

Concentrating heat energy in her hand, she began to pluck the feathers in the way she had learned to as a dragon. Heat; an intense heat source will burn away the feathers without a trace, as long as it was held close enough and yet not close enough to burn the meat.

'Nature's destruction, come in heat. Fire!' she whispered, curling her slender fingers up in a basin shape. A ball of flame erupted from her palm, changing its shape as she moved her fingers. Holding this sphere of intense heat, she moved it over the yellow feathered beast, watching its feathers moult away in a hurry, blackened down and quills littering the grass as the white flesh exposed itself. Extinguishing the flame in her hand, she picked up a branch from the ground; whittling it down to a straight rod in seconds with her silver knife, she stood back from the chocobo's carcass, before lunging forward, impaling the bird on the stick, the other end thrust out the head, brains dangling on the sharpened tip.

Blood dribbled onto Reis' white hands as she hoisted the carcass over the spit; the other hunters simply staring at her, open mouthed. They had never seen a female hunter before; let alone one this strong; impaling a chocobo right through the length of its body with one thrust of a branch. Washing her hands in the bucket of water next to the inn, she had just noticed that the hunters were gaping at her.

'What?' she asked irritably, 'Did I do something wrong?'

'No, no, not at all, it's nothing,' they mumbled, before carrying on with roasting their food over the fire.

_I wish people were the same as I am…then maybe I wouldn't attract so much attention.

* * *

_

'Smells good. What is it?' Tidus asked, sidling around the corner, sniffing the air hopefully, 'Uh…is it the…big yellow bird thing?'

'Chocobo. Yes,' Reis replied, turning the spit one more time before brandishing her light sword out, 'It's our dinner,'

'Where'd you get this?' Lulu asked, appearing from the shadows, 'You didn't steal it, did you?'

'Of all the accusations the worst! Lulu! I hunted this, with the innkeeper's permission! You ungrateful…why, why would I steal if I have millions of gil? Why would I steal if I can rent you the best rooms that they have to offer?' Reis shouted, enraged at the unjust accusations, 'I'll tolerate it for now…but watch your tongue. I've had it with your snide comments,'

Summoning several plates out of thin air, she placed them in mid-air, keeping them aloft with the force of her mind. Slicing several well-cooked chunks of chocobo steak, she placed three good-sized pieces on each plate, before handing them out to each of Yuna's guardians, and lastly Yuna herself.

'Have as much as you like. There's one whole chocobo, and that's a lot of meat,'

'Thank you, Reis,'

'You're welcome, Yuna,'

Sitting down on a rock, facing the sunset, Yuna and Reis watched the play of colours before them as they ate; a small pillar of rock out in the sea stood directly in front of them, the waves surging up its vertical face and creating a curtain of spray, the twilight illuminating it in crimson. Stars appeared in the darkening sky, a particularly bright one off to the left of them.

_I wonder where men received the idea of zodiac signs. They make pictures from the stars, and yet here I am, staring at them, and I cannot find any meaning to them, nor can I see any images or revelations in them. They're just stars…_

Finishing her meal before Yuna did, Reis vanished her plate with an easy wave of her fingers, along with the leftover bones and fat. She never liked eating the fat—at least, after her transformation back into a human. As a dragon it was fine; it kept her warm, but as a human, it weighed her down.

'Yuna…when you're finished, just place the plate near the spit. I'll take care of them later,' Reis said, standing up and walking to the large crystal that she had brought.

Picking it up with one hand, she propped it up against the wall, wondering what to do with it; before noticing that the crystal started to slide down to the side. It was too late to save it; smashing on the floor with a loud crash, Reis was left with a number of large, broken shards of soul.

Examining all the fragments, she pulled one up to the wall; taking out her light blade, she cut small pieces away from it, forming a rounded shape similar to a shield. Holding a ball of intense flame in her hand, Reis melted the surface of it slightly; blending it one way and then the other, making a smooth surface over the top. Holding a finished shield to the light, she stared into the front; it was mirror-like; she could see her face in it…and what she thought were the dead. Corpses and skeletons appeared to walk beside her, stroking her face and attempting to bite her neck. Dropping the shield in a hurry, she picked up the next largest piece.

Placing this on her chest, she found that it was slightly larger than the front of her body; and slightly thicker than her body too. Cutting this into half, she hollowed it out, cutting a mould of her own body, the waste fragments of crystal dropping onto the floor and smashing into countless minuscule pieces. She began to remember her youth…the mornings of warming the furnace, the days of hammering out metal, and the evenings of making sheets and bars of it. In the fiery forges she would work—often early in the morning, before the sunrise; and often late at night, the moon her only source of light. All this in addition to her sacred studies in the libraries of Lionel and the holy teachings of Draclau; this would have made any man mad. Not Reis. She would bear anything—just to assist others; just to help others live. Her family at Warjilis needed the money; and that was enough of a reason for her to work.

Joining the two halves by melting the pieces together at the seams, she slipped it on over her dress. It was rather tight, but comfortable enough, despite the biting cold that this material creates to the touch. Pulling the armor off her chest, she began to work on her plate skirt and the accompanying plate legs; five rather large pieces of crystal she will need. Counting them, she found that she had nine more shards; and a rather large bolt-like one.

'Thank goodness I have enough…' she sighed, cutting the rest into a pair of plate legs and a plate skirt, as well as her vambraces and pauldrons. The last bolt-like piece she wondered what she could do with it; a large piece was on one end, like a hammer's head, and the rest was thin, like a spear. Surely the crystal would not hold if it were used as a hammer; it had to be a spear…and something else.

_The lancers…they're sisters of the dragons, are they not? Or as they claim?_

'That's right…' she muttered to herself, 'This has to be a spear. And a helmet. I…I'm destined to be a lancer?'

_Better to cut it now than wonder later on the road._

Cutting off the large sphere on the end of the crystal bolt, Reis shaped it to be a helmet; remembering the space for her hair, she cut a slot into the back, and formed a visor from the inside of the sphere. The rest of the bolt she fashioned into a spear; a four-edged spear tip on the end, razor sharp and their point all the more deadly. Tying her hair into a single ponytail, she pushed it through the helmet's back, before placing it on her head.

_This isn't as bad as I thought, it's not really that heavy. Maybe I've hollowed it out, and took out most of the weight…_

Walking around the back of the inn in her new armor, she found the rest of the guardians sitting by the spit fire, talking among one another.

'Alright, I take it that you've finished your meals,' Reis called out, smiling. Flicking her fingers, she caused each plate to disappear, leaving no trace behind. She burst out laughing as Tidus searched comically for where his plate went; he was intently picking away at a piece of chocobo fat; stretching it and seeing how hard it would become.

'Thanks for the meal,' the red-robed man sitting next to Lulu said, 'I appreciate it,'

'You're welcome,'

'My name is Auron. I am…a guardian of Yuna. And her father as well, when he went on the pilgrimage…'

_This man must be an experienced guardian, if he's taken another person for a pilgrimage…_

'Um…my name is Reis Dular…I am also a guardian of Yuna, although I'm not quite certain what I'm doing,' she mumbled, feeling foolish. Glancing at the man's face, she noticed the vast amount of scarring on it; a large, deep one on his right cheek, and as she looked down, one of his arms appeared to be somewhat degenerated; it was thin and rather smaller than his other.

_He must have avoided death at some stage…_

'Nice to meet you, Reis. As you know, the summoner on a pilgrimage must visit each temple and pray to the Fayth within. This…is for preparation for the Final Summoning. Alas, I had better not speak of it. It is…a great sacrifice on the part of the summoner,'

_Why? Why is it a great sacrifice? Isn't it an ordinary summoning?_

'The Final Summoning…You'll learn later, it's best not to speak of it right now,'

'Alright then…can you tell me about the pilgrimage? What is it like?'

'You're already on it as well. But I can assume that you wish to know the road ahead. Very well then. It is…a harsh road. There are trials and dangers that the summoner must face, the worst of all the Al Bhed. Countless summoners have disappeared at the hands of these villains,'

'But…wasn't there a team called the Al Bhed Psyches at Luca? If they were villains, why would they be allowed to join in?'

'Not all the Al Bhed are evil. The innkeeper is one, and so are most shopkeepers and blacksmiths in Luca. They do not worship Yevon; and thus, they are permitted to use machina to create weapons and such. That is where we accept them,'

'I see…thank you for your explanation…'

'You're welcome,'

Walking back into the inn, Reis found the lobby full of drunk and rowdy visitors; wading through the sea of men, she sighed in relief as she opened the door to her room. Yuna was already inside; she was lying down on the silk sheets of her bed, staring peacefully at the ceiling.

Placing her soul armor carefully on the pile of belongings, Reis collapsed onto her own bed; peace and quiet began to creep into her mind as she began to sleep.

_I can never get enough sleep. Tomorrow may be the day I die; and yet I had not enough rest; I could have had too little of this world and its peace. Or tomorrow may be a day of peaceful work; and I won't have enough strength to do it because of lack of sleep. I miss my days of youth; and possibly even my days as a dragon, when my energy was virtually limitless._

**A/N**

Well, end of another chapter. And the end of my holidays. And the start of my half yearly examinations. Well, not really. Just the start of the term that is the time for my half yearlies. No reviews not happy. Especially with over 1000 hits by this stage.

Planning the 3rd and 4th parts of the series.


	39. Sin of Massacre

The golden light filtered into the velvet-lined room of the Traveller's Inn, casting a dappled shadow over the still form of Reis. Sitting up, the dragoner yawned widely, stretching her arms up in the air and sliding off the soft, warm bed. Strolling out of the door of the Inn, she was sprayed by a warm, stinking fluid; a feather floated down before her wide, shocked eyes; chocobo corpses were strewn all over the green fields outside the wooden building.

Staring around in horror, she could not see anything that could have caused the destruction; kneeling down, she touched the horrific wounds on the dead chocobo nearest to her.

_Bite marks. Hundreds of them. And they're not pretty; they're…really deep. Whatever caused this is definitely not the most friendly of things…_

Drawing back her bloodstained hands hastily, she crouched low on the ground, holding an energy blade in her left hand. Stepping carefully over the dead bodies, Reis pressed herself against the wall. There was a loud squawk, and a heavy sound of a corpse falling down; something is still killing the chocobos.

_I think that sound came from behind the inn. I'll take a look there. God…to you I pray that it is not the most dangerous of beasts. I am unprepared for that kind of opponent. _

Creeping along the wall, careful to hide in the shadow cast by the dawn sun, the dragoner witnessed a most horrific scene; a large, yellow bird, dangling limp from the jaws of a larger, stronger beast; blood was still trickling down from its mangled neck and its open beak, its eyes torn out by a slash from the beast's great claws.

A strand of flesh still protruding from between its foot-long fangs, the creature licked its black lips, saliva dripping down from its crimson-coated tongue; emitting a low growl, the beast stomped towards Reis, its claws stretched out. The shine of a razor-sharp edge caught her eye; this was not a fiend to be underestimated. Sidestepping a lunge from the lethal claws, Reis stared on in horror; the creature was after her; to kill; to destroy.

Brandishing her shining blade, the female warrior snarled at the beast.

'Come and get me, you fiend!'

Roaring in rage, at this display of bravado, the beast lunged forwards once more, its great, heavy jaws snapping at the trailing robes of the dragoner; who struck away its claws with each swing of her energy sword. Cleaving a claw in two, the dragoner pointed her blade at the monster once more, watching it growl in agony, cradling its mutilated and useless right claw; the gleam of wrath in its eyes, it charged forward once more, heaving its great mass at the slender huntress.

'Fool!'

Leaping upwards, she let the monster slam into the rock on the edge of the sea cliff behind her; severing its tail with a downward sweep of the blade, she stepped backwards, watching the beast roar in pain once more; stabbing her sword downwards, she uttered the finishing incantation.

'Doom of a planet…Crush Punch!'

Watching from behind as the edge of the cliff shattered into powder, the huntress tucked her blade under her robes; walking away, she did not notice the beast's claw whip upwards in a last, desperate attempt to take down its killer along to its grave; the attack slashing a broad, deep gash along Reis' back. Staggering in blinding pain, Reis groaned in agony, feeling the blood soak into her torn and shredded dress; peering over her shoulder, she sighed in relief as the monster gave one last, shuddering roar, as its body was dashed to pieces against the rocks at the bottom of the shore. Spitting on the ground, Reis limped back to the inn, gasping with each swaying step she took. Blood trailed behind her; the wound was deep and severe.

_I…I've never felt this much pain before. Maybe once or twice. It's blinding. I can't feel a thing. I can't think. I just want to get back into safety. I just want to go home._

_Go home. Isn't that a nice thing to say; I have no home; the land is my home. And yet, this isn't my land. There is no home for me now._

'Is anybody awake?' Reis shouted, in a wavering and unsteady voice, shaking as she stood; her vision was clouding, a sharp, throbbing pain in her head; she could see her own blood pooling where she stood, 'Is anybody awake?'

'Yes, yes, I'm awake,' the innkeeper yawned, stopping abruptly when he spotted Reis, '_Ur so kut_, what in Spira have you done to yourself?'

'Please…hurry…I need…help…with…this…' Reis gasped, tapping her back with a healing spell on her lips, shaking her head as it amounted to little, only slowing the blood loss, 'Please…get summoner Yuna from one of the rooms that I had rented…'

The innkeeper disappeared from Reis' sight as she dropped her head lower, her breathing hard and shallow; her blood streaming down her back and legs, the familiar warm fluid wrapping itself around her foot; snakelike, it coiled downwards from the wound slashed across her back, a trail of red on a white robe.

'Dear Yevon, what have you done to yourself?' Yuna whispered to herself as she supported Reis, helping her into a seat, 'This much bleeding…I've never seen so much…'

Holding a finger over the wound, Yuna began to chant, a soft, calming enchantment, full of flowing, peaceful energy; the blood stopped flowing as she completed the first chant, and yet the gash was still there; an unsightly slash on Reis' perfectly smooth skin.

_Didn't I…didn't I…make…a potion…before the Blitzball Tournament? With any luck…if nobody has taken it…it should still be here…_

Putting one unsteady, shaking hand into the folds of her robe, Reis felt around for the blood potion that she had made on the ship to Luca; uncorking the glass bottle, she drained the large bottle in one gulp, the dark, ruby red fluid within spreading a stain on her lips. Wiping the excess from her mouth, Reis stood up, the gash mending itself before Yuna's and the astonished innkeeper's eyes; before she ascended the stairs to her room, the wound had sealed, leaving no trace of any violation ever happening before.

'Reis…can you tell me…what on earth were you doing?' Yuna asked her, wiping a finger coated in blood on her voluminous robes, 'There is no way you would receive that sort of wound from a normal monster…that…that cut, that slash…if it had gone down even an inch deeper, you would've been dead. That…that had broken the back of your ribs…'

'There was a fiend eating all the chocobos outside. I…I couldn't leave it there, to finish them all off. I had to go and kill it,'

'Well, you could've asked some of us for help, at least. You forget; my guardians are also there to help you as well; as you do for them,'

Feeling foolish at Yuna's words, Reis entered her room, lying back on the linen and woollen covers of her bed; before sitting bolt upright again, the pain in her back still sharp and fresh.

_This…hadn't happened before, this wound's worse than I thought. My potion works on me. In the matter of seconds. But why? Why would this wound not heal that fast?_

'Saving lives is an honourable goal, Yuna. That's why I did that,'

'And yet you took a life?' Yuna said, 'That's not saving a life,'

'True…it is not saving a life. However, by taking one, I save many others. I would gladly give my life for my beloved Beowulf, at any rate,' Reis mused, 'In any case, I think I'd better wear my armour at all times,'

Sliding the black crystal pieces of armour over her robes, Reis reflected on the life that she had. Would it have been better if she had died in Beowulf's place when they had fought with Altima? Or would it have been better if she were not born at all? Not to be the cause of jealousy among men, and not to be the cause of a war; one that happened between Goug and the church. Picking up her lance, she pushed aside these thoughts.

'I will go ahead and look for any hostiles,' Reis called to Yuna, shutting the door behind her as she left.

Tossing a few hundred gil on the counter of the inn, Reis left the comfortable building, holding her large spear, which was nearly one and a half times her height; made of reflective black crystal. Finding a man with several chocobos nearby, she waved to him, beckoning him to come closer.

'Good morning, sir. Are these chocobos for sale?' Reis said, shaking his hand.

'No, they are not,' the man muttered, walking on, his straw hat bobbing up and down as he led the sentient chocobos along.

'Would this make a difference?' Reis asked, tossing a small bag of gil, straightening out her single, knee-length ponytail of golden hair with her other hand; the man caught it, his eyes aglow with greed as he saw the fabulous sum within.

'Yes, yes it would. I will give these to you…for…ah, how about sixty thousand gil? Apiece?'

'It's a deal,' Reis smiled, counting out an additional two hundred and forty thousand and dumping them into his hands. Taking the reins of the saddled chocobos, she swung herself on top of one with an agile leap. A quarter of a million was a mere nothing to her.

_Much as I'd prefer to ride a dragon, chocobos are, apparently, the only mode of transport here, aside from walking._

The man ran off in glee, counting out the coins in such haste that trails of gold were left behind. Driving the yellow birds forward, the remainder of the guardians emerged from the inn, yawning and half asleep. The sun had risen slightly higher than the horizon, tinging the sky pink and streaking it with yellow; wispy clouds dashed the curtain of air with white.

'Good morning, fellow guardians. Let's just say that I've found a more…ah, comfortable way of travelling,' Reis said, dismounting and helping Yuna load their baggage onto a chocobo's back.

'Where did you get these, Reis?' Lulu asked, almost accusatively, 'Did you steal them?'

'Again, and again, why do you accuse me of such vile deeds?' Reis sighed, shaking her head, 'I have purchased these from a man; alas, I think that you may be more inclined to steal,'

Laughing as she watched Lulu's face burn in shame, Reis helped Yuna onto a chocobo, when she noticed that there were not enough. Auron and Kimahri could sit on one each, for they were too heavy to permit any others to ride on the same chocobo; Lulu could sit with Yuna, and Tidus had to occupy the fourth and last one. There was none for Reis.

'Reis, you don't have a chocobo,' Yuna said, moving to get off hers when Reis grasped her hand and pushed her gently back on. Dark wings burst from the back of Reis' back, dripping in blood as it pushed through the armour; her face was distorted in pain, panting as it subsided. Beating them about, she noticed that something was different; it was no longer black leather, but black feathers; as though her dragon wings had become raven's wings.

'It's alright, I can fly, Yuna. I'll follow behind as I don't know the way,'

The summoner drove the chocobo forward, slowly at first, uncertainly; gaining pace as she gained confidence in herself, Yuna rode swiftly towards a narrow ravine, along the edge of which they must traverse. Small clumps of sparse flowers grew along the ragged rock edge of the ravine; the road along it cracked and crumbled, at some parts indistinguishable from the surrounding dirt. Chocobos down below stared upwards nonchalantly as the riders moved overhead; resuming their pecking as they left.

Winding around a mountain range, the bottom of the ravine was a fair way down; the darkness below was thick; thicker and darker than the darkest shadow; the bottom invisible in the gloom. Pebbles fell to the bottom as a chocobo kicked them aside; falling down into the dark, landing with a loud crack on the bottom five seconds after it was dislodged.

_A fear of heights…that I've never had. But this valley, this pit, this hole in the ground, this slash in the land…it's different._

The road eased slightly a few minutes through this dangerous road; the dirt path showed signs of maintenance, the damaged fragments of cobble becoming less common as the loose bricks joined to form a straight, smooth path once more. A vast stone arch spanned the valley ahead, sealed by a palisade gate. Cages of snapping, roaring fiends sat outside this gate, dragged along by teams of chocobos. Men stood waiting by them, pointing their spears and halberds at the beasts, forcing the creatures to cease their fierce resistance.

'What are they doing there?' Yuna said, 'I've never heard of any crusader activity to happen here?'

'I hope they're not doing anything stupid,' Auron mumbled, pushing his dark sunglasses up, 'They will only be able to fight Sin only at Luca, where there are many of them,'

_I've seen what that thing can do to a town. And these men…they're trying to destroy it? With lances and halberds? Very little chance of that._

'Even if the Crusaders wish to do that noble deed, Yuna must complete her pilgrimage to Zanarkand. They will not bar us,'

_She must. She has to. Why? Is there a good reason why? I haven't heard any so far. Why, if I can destroy one of Sin's fins, surely there are enough black mages to destroy it in entirety._

Driving their rides forward, the travellers were barred by the Crusaders, who formed a fence of spears as they tried to ride through the palisade gates in the rock arch.

'Halt! State your business,' one said, raising his visor, 'Only Crusaders and the Al Bhed may pass,'

'Al Bhed?' Wakka shouted, 'You're letting the filthy Al Bhed into the Crusaders' activities!'

'Calm down, Wakka. There must be an explanation for it,' Yuna said, praying in their usual fashion, 'Please, tell us what is happening here,'

'There is a military campaign to be led here, by the Crusaders and the Al Bhed,' a cold, calm voice said; the Crusaders parted and saluted to a blue-robed man, his turquoise hair rippling in the slight breeze, 'If it may please you, summoner Yuna, you—and your guardians—may pass through. But under one condition; you must come with me,'

'Wherever she goes, we go!' Tidus yelled, his chocobo bucking violently in surprise, 'We, as guardians, will not allow Yuna to be taken away!'

'Then I will allow you to come with her,' the man said, his voice noticeably far colder, 'Come, Yuna. I will show you the might of the Crusaders, when they are joined by the Al Bhed,'

_He's talking as though he knew Yuna…or does he? Or does he only have plenty of influence?_

Sweeping his hand in a parting motion, the Crusaders behind him moved aside, bowing as the group passed through.

'Maester Seymour…' Yuna said, softly, 'Is it really advisable to attempt this? To try and destroy Sin with Al Bhed machina and with the Crusaders' blades? It appears to be futile to me, for it is only with the Final Summoning that Sin can be destroyed,'

'Futile it may seem,' Seymour sighed, 'but it is necessary for the good of Spira. To try and defend our towns from Sin we must,'

'But there are no towns here,' Reis spoke, hovering behind Yuna, 'This is not the defense of a town,'

'It may not seem like it, but if Sin travels further past here, he will be able to destroy Luca. Enough. Do not question me any further on it. The council of the Maesters have decided on this campaign,'

The road that they travelled on was rough; cliffs surrounded them on all sides, with a deep pit at the base of the rock platform they were on. Water trickled steadily down over the edges of the stone; sparse flowers grew wherever the rays of light touched the barren, brown rock. Sickly and yellowing, they appeared to know the coming of doom—the approach of Sin, and the fate of the Crusaders.

_They will be annihilated. They can't possibly resist Sin, when he has levelled a town, single-handedly._

Stepping on a glyph on the floor, Seymour looked on amusedly as Yuna and her guardians glanced bewilderedly at the ground as it rose; a powerful jet of water having issued from the base of the rock plate that they were on. Emerging at the top of the cliffs, they ventured out into a bustling encampment, thousands of cannons lining the walls of the steep-edged bay that they were in, the sapphire waters of the sea lapping peacefully at the pure white sands of the beach below.

'Today the Crusaders shall complete the will of Mi'ihen. They will defeat Sin by their own hands—and that of the Al Bhed in addition, with their machina,'

'This will not work, Maester,' Wakka retorted, bouncing his blitzball on the rocky ground below him, 'Machina are forbidden by Yevon. It is against the religion, and it is definitely against your doctrine that we use them!'

'It is the will of Yevon that we join hands with the Al Bhed and use their machina,'

'Then…then…isn't it sacrilegious for us to do so? Why are the crusaders permitted to use them?'

'Is it in your mind, young guardian,' Seymour sighed, entering a tent and putting up a map of the bay, 'That you will partake of their devilish weapons? That you may use them freely? I can assure you, it is not by their own free will that they have chosen to use these weapons. It is the will of Yevon that they will do so, to crush Sin once and for all,'

'But…' Wakka retorted once more, faltering as he saw the cold light in Seymour's eyes.

_They're…going against the doctrines of their own religion? To go against their principles and the principles instilled into the minds of those who follow it devoutly? I am…disgusted. More than that. I am appalled._

'Right. I'll explain what we're trying to do here,' Seymour said, pointing to the largest cannon, mounted atop a cliff, 'We're luring Sin here with as many Sinspawns as we can gather. Then, all the Al Bhed machina will attack Sin as the Crusaders fight off his scales. Quite simple, really,'

'And you have absolute certainty that this will work?' Yuna said, holding her summoner's staff rather tightly, 'It had been said before in the scriptures of Yevon that the only way to destroy Sin is through the Final Summoning. And even then, he will return again on an uncertain date, to terrorise and plague Spira. It is said that he is eternal, indestructible-'

'You've seen Reis destroy his fin once, Yuna,' Lulu interjected, 'You've seen her destroy one of his fins using whatever magic she has,'

_That's the first time Lulu ever commented on me in a nice way._

'A woman that can damage Sin,' Seymour laughed, 'I have never heard such a preposterous claim. Unless I see it with my own two eyes, I refuse to believe it,'

'See for yourself if she decides to do so again,'

'I will, then,' Seymour said, with some annoyance and finality in his cold voice. Striding outside, they watched the Al Bhed load their cannons; the clouds overhead gathered, dark and threatening. The waves intensified, pounding against the dark granite cliffs. Ripples formed in the ocean; sea birds above it swooping past the Crusaders as they fled in haste.

The Crusaders took a step back as the enormous form of Sin rose from the azure waters; the Al Bhed cannons blasted a vicious barrage of shots as their commanders shouted the order to fire. The noise was deafening; cannon blasts and the screams of men echoing in the bay against the rocky cliffs; and Sin's deep, low groan of sound as it moved didn't help either.

The largest cannon atop the cliff was firing intermittent rays of energy into Sin's scales; ripping off some as it wrought holes and cuts into Sin's back. Crusaders and their chocobos charged into the shallow waters, trampling sinscales and fiends as they dashed forward to attack their enormous opponent.

Reis looked on over the chaos, while Yuna gasped, horrified; hundreds of Crusaders were locked in combat, hand to hand, with the bug-like Sinscales; some fell to the ground, while the others took their place and finished off the fiends. Sinspawns, locked in their cages, struggled to escape and fight; the one directly next to Reis bending its prison bars severely. Bracing herself, Reis moved backward, the Sinspawn having broken out the next second.

'Yuna! Watch out! This one's free!' Reis yelled, deflecting a blow from its flailing arms with her black shield. Spitting acid, the monster was furious; some splashed on to Reis' face, burning into her skin. Hissing in pain, Reis leapt forward, burying her crystal spear into the creature's mottled scales. Snatching it out of the Sinspawn's flesh, Reis slammed the opposite end into the creature's arm; so forceful was the blow that the entire limb was severed.

Panting, the dragoner narrowed her eyes, jumping backwards as the other remaining limb pulverised the ground where she was a second ago. Holding her black crystal spear like a javelin, she hurled the spear into the creature's head; black blood spurted out of the hole in the creature's eye as the spear shot out the other side, where it remained embedded in the rock. Reeling over, the Sinspawn collapsed onto the ground, vaporising into one, large red crystal, which Reis crushed with her fist.

'Protect yourself, Yuna. I suggest you get out of here,' Auron told her, drawing out his katana and batting down a stray sinscale.

'I will, Auron,' she replied, grasping her staff rather tightly, 'But I will not leave,'

'Oh my God,' Reis whispered, pointing at the largest cannon as she extracted her spear from the rock face, 'Look at that…'

Sin was resisting against the cannon's energy ray; a glowing yellow bubble of force surrounded it, expanding; it was pushing back the cannon's blue beam, driving it back all the way to the muzzle—

'Get down!' Seymour shouted, pushing Yuna aside as the cannon's flaming remains fell on the ground next to them; Sin had blasted the entire cannon to scraps of metal with its attack. Sinscales were still flying thickly from its skin; the weary Crusaders below fighting an ever-increasing foe, their numbers decreasing with every Sinscale they defeated.

_I must do something about this…I must do it. These men cannot continue the battle, or they will be annihilated. Sinscales are too numerous…_

Raising her visor, Reis began to dance; her golden ponytail moved fluidly as she twirled and sang, a song that had no words, that had an ancient power about it; a song of death and decay. Her spear she twirled above her head, as she stared at the darkening skies above; her other hand drawing an magical symbol in the air, a trail of reddish energy hovering in front of her; finishing the song on one last, wavering note, she thrust the black spear into the sphere of energy, screaming the final verse in the hoarse, draconic voice that she possessed when enraged.

'The sun, stars and sky…combine as one to crush my foes! The power of darkness and earth…destroy my enemies! Fire and water shall befriend each other to rid this world of evil! _Prominence_!' Reis roared, plunging the energised spear into the ground.

The clouds overhead thundered, streaks of lightning flashing across the black clouds; freezing bolts of ice rained down upon the Sinscales, impaling them upon grisly javelins of frozen water harder than steel; clouds flew apart, one thin, weak beam of light shining upon Sin's exposed body. Several other columns of light descended upon the great fiend's back, before thousands, even millions of balls of fire, along with their hundreds of fiery rock trails fell in a ferocious barrage; staring upwards, Reis shouted another spell for all to hear.

'Shadow Flare!'

It was as though a chocobo wagon had slammed into the dragoner's front; reeling backwards, Reis felt the aftershocks of the spell that she had just used; a forbidden spell, one that consumed part of her soul to destroy her opponent to nothing. Blood spilled out from her lips, flowing along the glistening black handle of her spear; kneeling down, she felt the warm flow of blood upon her legs. Lifting up her weary head, Reis caught a glimpse of Sin's form disintegrating by her spell; Sin moving away, Sin moving away in fear, in pain, in destruction.

Her strength began to fail; Reis' hands began to slide down the smooth handle of her spear, before she collapsed onto the ground, sprawled on all fours upon the cold, hard stone. The crimson liquid still flowed from her mouth, the familiar coppery taste tickling her tastebuds; she swallowed, and all faded into darkness…

_**A/N**_

_Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there something that you readers want me to improve? Is there something wrong with me? I've received 1040 hits for this story, and yet there are only a few reviewers! Can you please tell me, if you read this, why you like my story? It seems odd to me that many will read this, and yet few review._


	40. Completion of Corruption

'Ugh!' Reis cried, sitting up as she felt a hand press against her aching chest, 'Stop that! It really hurts!'

'I'm sorry, Reis…but it has to be done,' Yuna whispered softly in her ear, muttering a Cure spell.

'I know you have to, but do you have to press so hard on it?' Reis growled, as Yuna pressed her hand again on her ribs.

'I have to. You've just about pulverised your ribs after you performed that spell,' Yuna said, frowning, 'What was that? I certainly don't want to use that if I had to, even if it did destroy half of Sin,'

'What happened to the other half?' Reis asked; biting her lip as Yuna compressed her ribs once more, 'Wasn't my spell powerful enough to destroy it?'

'The other half escaped. Thankfully the remaining Crusaders could be saved. Yevon knows what Sin could've done to them, once he had destroyed all the Al Bhed Machina,'

_All of them…? No more cannons left? And all the operators…dead?_

'I only did what I had to do. That is, to protect you. My duty as a guardian,' Reis croaked, coughing in embarrassment, 'What's wrong with my voice…it doesn't…seem right…somehow,'

'Reis…' Yuna said, gesticulating for a word, 'You nearly died performing that spell. Why, why did you risk your life? I wouldn't have been prepared for such a sacrifice,'

'Please, Yuna. I need to know. What happened to me?' Reis repeated, her voice growing hoarse.

'You've…permanently damaged your throat,' Yuna said, bowing her head, 'Blood was spurting everywhere, out of your mouth. I couldn't do anything more than to attempt my feeble curative spells on you. But none worked; none at all. Maester Seymour attempted his best, but only succeeded in slowing the blood flow. We feared…that you would die. We thought that you inflicted a mortal wound on yourself. Well, it eventually stopped…but that…that…left your throat in a very bad shape; we could tell that something was badly wrong; there was swelling…we had no other choice. Either you would die or we had to do something about your throat…we…we—oh dear Yevon, I can't say it…'

'We gambled on your life,' Lulu added, staring coldly at Reis, 'We cut open your throat to let whatever it was out. The blood flow stopped, at least after I had sealed the wound with a fire spell,'

_That…that's…I can't believe this…they had to destroy my voice to save my life?_

'…' Reis mouthed, attempting to speak; the pain in her throat ascended to the point where she was forced to fall silent. Yuna pushed her gently back down onto the coarse woolen bedsheets of the tent bed; putting a glass of water next to Reis, she left the room, bowing to Seymour and Kimahri as she left.

Heat was throbbing in her face. _How could I be so reckless? Why must I perform that spell? The spell of which I knew the after-effects; which I've used before. _

Picking up her dress, she slipped herself into the folds of the warm, white cloth; biting her lip, she placed the black crystal breastplate over her chest; it pressed rather tightly, a little uncomfortable, with the slightest tinge of pain. Sliding the other pieces of armor over her legs and arms, Reis felt a powerful wave of emotion surge through her like an earthquake.

_Why did I save their lives? Why did I bother to do that and place myself into danger?_

_Is it all because they can't look after themselves? Because they cannot defend themselves? Why can't they fight their own wars, their own battles, and not have to have me torture myself for their sake?_

An anger like no other flowed through Reis' mind. Furious at herself for sacrificing her voice, and even more so at the men that she had saved, she grasped the black crystal spear on the table, striding out of the tent; masking her anger behind a cold smile, Reis sat on the edge of the feast outside, under an overhanging ledge, watching the stars and the black night sky.

A hand pressed against her backside, then scrabbling up her chest; reflexively, she grabbed it with her hand, and staring over her shoulder, she saw a half-drunken Crusader; untidy, and covered in filth and dirt, as though he had been in a brawl.

'What do you think you're doing?' Reis rasped, gripping the Crusader's wrist in an iron grip, 'You think that's the right way to respect a woman, do you?'

'Yeah, I do. Women are just whores, to be coupled with a man. Say, how about you stay with me for the night, you look mighty fine to me,' he slurred, slightly laughing into Reis' contorted face.

_That did it. I will teach this man a lesson._

'You think this will show you my answer?' Reis growled, resisting the burning pain in her throat as she crushed the Crusader's wrist, 'You think this will show my anger? If you were any fiend, I will finish you off like this…Crush Punch!'

Stabbing at a barrel of ale with the spear held in her other hand, she caused the steel hoops to burst, and the wooden planks to shatter into splinters; a pool of thick, dark beer remained behind.

'You're lucky you're not a fiend. However, I will not let you leave without greater…ah, let's say…enlightenment, on how to respect a woman. I will let you remember this day…from now on!' Reis growled softly into his face, smiling widely as the man screamed in agony; Reis had twisted his arm entirely around by the wrist, before crushing all the bones in his hand with a final, crushing grip. Kicking the weeping Crusader aside, she sat down under the overhang once more, relishing the moment of pain; that moment when the satisfying will to destroy emerged in her once more, as it did occasionally during her years as a dragon.

Silently summoning a pitcher of water from thin air, Reis looked onto the celebrations before her; a few buffoons in the middle were providing entertainment, dancing and chanting on top of the table in the centre; vast joints of chocobo meat were being hauled every few minutes to the hungry crowds, who feasted as they drank ale and wine. Yuna and her guardians were sitting next to Seymour, who appeared to be interested solely in the female summoner.

_Why would he be interested in her…? Oh rats. Here we go again, me minding someone else's business. I don't care what Yuna thinks of him, and even less so what Seymour thinks of her. That's their business, not mine._

Gulping down a large amount of water, she then placed a hand on her thin stomach; little she ate lately, and this was slowly beginning to tear away at her health; less weight may help her move faster, but it definitely was not a good sign to see the way that her ribs showed clearly just above her stomach.

_I've always been like this. I eat little, and sleep for long periods of time…it's the way I always was._

Holding her hand out, she created a few embers in her palm; creating a cascade of flames from her fingertips, Reis guided this stream of fire into a pile in front of her, creating a campfire. Lying down on the hard rock, she began to sleep.

_I hate myself. I hate the way that I like to save others. I hate the way I don't care about myself. I want to keep myself as it is. And yet, there is an urge, from somewhere…that I must help others. I don't know why it's there, and yet…I obey that will blindly._

_I've never felt this way before about helping others._

_Why do I need to contemplate it? I've done that without any questions before._

_But…why do I still help them, even if it means destroying myself, little by little?_

_It's as though it was my duty to do that._

_Well, if it is my duty, I don't like it. And I will leave it if I don't like it. I'm free to do that._

'That I will do,' Reis muttered to herself, sitting up in the dawn sunlight. There were small bonfires still burning near the slumbering men; Yuna and her other guardians have apparently retired for the night, as they were not to be seen outside, sleeping drunkenly as with the Crusaders in the area.

Walking into the largest tent, she found Yuna sleeping in a comfortable bed, surrounded by her guardians. Creeping past the others, she tapped the edge of Yuna's bed.

'Good morning, Yuna,' Reis greeted her.

'Good morning, Reis, is there anything wrong?' she replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

'As a matter of fact, yes. I'd like to…resign. From being your guardian,' Reis said, her low growl beginning to return.

Yuna sat there, wide-eyed in disbelief. This was a guardian—one who was supposed to guard her to their deaths—and here was one, resigning? It was unheard of.

'Why so, Reis?'

'It is a reason…I cannot explain,'

'Please reconsider. In the hundreds of years that summoners have existed in Spira, not once has there been a guardian who withdrew from his or her task,'

'I am not bound by your laws,' Reis growled, raising her voice slightly, 'I am not of this world, and therefore not bound by your laws. I do not practice your religions and I do not obey your regulations,

Yuna bowed her head slightly, her light brown hair hanging lank. Reis could almost swear that she could see tears falling from Yuna's blue and green eyes.

'But please, can you at least stay until Macalania? It is not that far from here,' Yuna pleaded, her voice slightly higher.

'I will. And after that, I will take my leave. I don't know where I will go, and even if I am meant to be here,' Reis said, crossing her arms. Laughing bitterly, she walked out of the tent, inhaling the cool morning air, 'Since my childhood, I've been exposed to death. My parents died when I was a mere childling. A dragon adopted me, to be murdered only three years after that. And yet, I was adopted by its murderer. I could never forgive him for never telling me what happened to my caretaker…it's as though I don't belong anywhere. Exiled, adopted, ridiculed, envied. It's all not new to me. Maybe it was better if I had died with my parents. If I had died with the dragon,'

Burying her spear into the ground in rage, Reis wiped a tear from her eyes, 'I will guard you until the place that you call Macalania. Afterwards, I will leave,'

Marching off towards the entrance of the bay, she sat down in the corner, sharpening the black crystal spear that she held in her hand. Breathing fire upon the tip, she watched it glow a dull, eerie red, before fading away, shining and clear.

_Am I human…?_

_Humans can't breathe fire. You're a dragon…_

_Am I a dragon then?_

_Dragons don't have the wonderful appearance that you possess, Reis. You're both, and yet you're neither._

_So I don't belong in this world, do I?_

_Yes, and no._

_Can you please explain?_

_No. You will learn later._

Shaking her head in confusion, Reis looked up to find Yuna and her guardians running towards her, ready for travel, several chocobos behind them. None of the Crusaders were awake yet; all were asleep, under the influence of the ale and wine.

'Are we ready to leave, Yuna?' Reis growled, standing up, dark wings bursting from her back, coated in glistening red blood.

'Yes, I think so…Reis,' Yuna said, avoiding Reis' piercing gaze, glancing at the specks of blood on the floor behind Reis.

'Then let us go,'

The valley was dark and cold; sunlight was yet to shine upon the path that they were treading. Water dripped steadily down the rock overhangs; adding to the general discomfort of the group. Tidus shivered, huddling as close as he could to his chocobo; which gave him an irritated stare and simply resumed its striding gait.

'We visit the temple of Yevon at Djose,' Yuna said, peering into the distance to discern a cleft in the rock, which indicated a path, 'After that, it is Macalania,'

_Yes…and I can be free. I will not enter the temple either, for their religion is not mine._

Emerging on the other side of the valley, the group walked along the sandy shores; rolling waves, white-crested and playful, lapped at their feet; Reis dragged her heel along the tops of the waters as she flew over the sapphire sea. Towering cliffs stretched on for as far as the eye could see, along the coast; Reis wondered how far Djose temple was.

Finding a crossroad, Auron pointed towards the eastern path, riding towards a building built in a cliff across a raging rapid. Foam was tossed up, high into the air; and onto the stone bridge that they began to cross. Ivies grew along the railings, covering the bleak grey stone with a welcome patch of green.

Enormous sparks of lightning carved up the cliff side; great chunks of the cliff shattered and broke away, held in stasis by the force of the flashing bolts, chaining each to the next. Spires of metal rose high into the sky, sending out pulsing, powerful waves of energy; steady, constant.

'I will wait here for you, Yuna,' Reis muttered, sitting on top of a rock outside the building, 'I assume that this is the temple of Djose,'

'Yes, it is-'

'Why do you say that you will remain outside?' Auron interjected, his hand on his sword handle, 'Guardians must remain with their summoner, until their death or the summoner's Final Summoning,'

'I am not bound by your laws,' Reis snapped, 'I am of Ivalice; and not of this world. I do not obey, nor do I recognise your regulations. I have guarded Yuna out of my own free will beforehand; no oath I have sworn to guard her to my death,'

'Insubordinance is not a trait of the guardian, Reis. Go in with Yuna. Now,'

'I will repeat what I have said before. I am not bound by your laws,' Reis said, grasping her spear rather tightly.

'Leave her here, Auron. If you're around, there should be enough guardians for me,'

Shooting a look of absolute loathing, Reis watched the experienced guardian follow Yuna into the temple.

_Where did he get the idea that I am of this world and that I will listen to their regulations? Such an absurd thought._

…_How long have I waited now?_

…_It's not that long, but why does it feel like so?_

…_Am I losing my patience?_

_Perhaps, and you're noticing it._

_Then let it be lost!_

_I don't want to hold back, I want to express myself. My rage at how I am used. Used. Used as a tool, a weapon of destruction, armour of protection. How well I know._

_I want to destroy. I want to kill._

_You weren't like this before, Reis. Stop this insanity._

_I want to kill. And nothing else. I want to have revenge._

_Over what?_

_Over the sufferings that I've had. Years and years of it. My entire life had been of suffering._

_Violence breeds violence, and it is the same with what you will attempt to do, if what you say is true._

_Then let it be so!_

Bowing her head slightly, she felt her eyes burn with heat, with rage, in anger. Anger at herself, and at the world. Leaping from the rock, she joined the rest of the emerging group, lowering her visor over her eyes.


	41. Intervention of Purity

'When will we be at Macalania?' Reis asked gruffly, as though impatient.

'We will be there soon enough,' Yuna answered calmly, looking straight at the road in front of her.

'I need to know the exact time, Yuna,' Reis asked again, a little more forcefully, fighting the pain in her throat.

'Reis, mind your tone,' Auron said, half-drawing his blade, causing Reis to slip her hand under her robe, grasping the handle of the energy blade in reflex, 'She's a summoner. And you're a guardian,'

_Why does he not know that I am no longer her guardian? Their rules are their own. I do not obey them, and I never will._

'And I am not her guardian,' Reis hissed, licking her dry lips, 'I have resigned from that post,'

'You are still traveling with her,' Auron reminded Reis, drawing out his blade fully, 'As long as you're with her, you're still her guardian,'

'I am still with her,' Reis growled, extending the shining blade, 'On my own honour. I choose to do so by a promise I have made at the Crusaders' headquarters. And for no other reason save that,'

Shaking his head, Auron sheathed his katana, while Reis did the same with her energy sword. Gritting her teeth, Reis beat her wings ever faster, moving forward towards Yuna, who was walking down the gently sloping road, down a small hill towards a green wood beyond.

'We cross the river Moonflow,' Lulu said from behind, 'Then we will be at Guadosalam,'

'Oh, for heaven's sake. Yuna, you said that this will be a short trip,' Reis muttered, tossing her hair, 'This is longer than what I have thought,'

'And what are you going to do if I let you go?' Yuna asked, 'You arrived from another world, as you said. And now, you're just following me, aimless. What are you going to do, if I don't lead you anywhere?'

'I will go where I please myself. I don't know where, and I don't know how. But I will do exactly that,'

Speeding forward, Reis circled the entire party as they trooped down the long dirt road, her wingtip catching on the occasional branch, the branch severed seconds later as she tears out the wing from the offending tree. The group moved on in silence; none were speaking, and only the occasional crack of a broken leaf or stick could be heard as they strode further on the leaf-strewn ground. Putting her hand up as she moved forward again, Reis placed a finger to her lips, listening intently.

_Footsteps. Loud and clear, nearly metallic-like…what could it be? It's gone now…but I can see large, perfectly round footsteps, arranged in hexagons on the wet mud just in front of me. Very strange, I've never known an animal to be so…mechanically made before._

'It's gone now, whatever it is,' Reis muttered, grasping her spear more tightly, 'Be on your guard, however,'

Creeping forward, blending in as much as she could with the shadows, Reis flattened herself against the cliff wall, peering over the boulder in front of her for any sign of a fiend. Shooting a surveying glance to her right, she sighed in relief; nothing was to be seen.

'All clear,'

'Reis, watch out above you—' Yuna screamed, pointing her staff at a flan, intently peering downwards, its large fangs gleaming in the morning light.

The light of battle blazing in her eyes, Reis batted down the jelly-like creature with the butt of her spear, forcing it down towards the ground. Cursing under her breath, she rammed the blunt pole repeatedly into the flan's repugnant face, a dark black fluid spattering her armour as the dragoner whipped the razor-sharp tip into the flan's eye. Its vision blinded by the complete obliteration of the other, the fiend staggered backwards on its fluid legs, hearing in fear only Reis' enraged whispers and her heavy footsteps. Biting at thin air in a last, desperate attempt to fend off the tall, slender warrior, the flan retreated slowly backwards, squealing one last, high-pitched death scream as Reis cleaved it apart with a single sweep of her spear. Bluish-green blood flowed freely on the ground, soaking into the dragoner's boots; Reis spat on the crystallizing corpse, shattering it with a well-aimed kick afterwards.

'Lousy creep…' Reis stormed, stalking forwards, dragging the spear tip along the ground, sparks flying from her other hand in periodic bursts of lightning.

'I've never seen her like that…' Yuna whispered to Lulu, out of earshot, 'It's as though…she's changed,'

'You haven't known her for long enough, Yuna. It's only a few days since we met this…half-dragon. I still am suspicious of her origins…fiend or not, be on your guard,'

'I'm glad you're picking this very moment to say it. I don't suggest you say that to her face. Yevon knows what she could do to you if you upset her in some way…especially after what I've seen her do to Sin and other fiends,'

As Reis strode down the hill, a biting pain began to chew away at her heart; dropping her spear, she stumbled to the side, panting loudly, collapsing onto the ground. Clutching at her chest, she grabbed the fallen spear weakly, inching towards the side of the road, where she leant against a cliff wall. A fine mist of blood sprayed from her mouth with each rasping breath she took; wiping her mouth with her hand, she stared disbelievingly at the crimson stain on the back of her hand, letting the hand fall weakly to the ground as she stared at the sky.

'It's…painful…' Reis coughed, stifling the bursts of red that flew from her mouth as she coughed, 'What is wrong with me?'

'Cure!' Yuna whispered into her ear, 'I don't know either, Reis. I'll try my best though,'

'Don't…please,' Reis mumbled thickly as blood poured through in between her fingers, 'I'll deal with it later. Let's move on,'

Struggling to her feet, the dragoner strode forwards, bent down, clasping a hand to her mouth, while beads of red dripped with each gasping, ragged breath she took. The others watched on in silence and horror; there was nothing they could do about it

_Darkness brings irreparable damage to the soul—_

_And that is precisely what I have done…by my hand, by my weapons, by my spells._

_Death shatters the body's integrity—_

_Isn't that only those that I kill?_

_Destruction brings bodily and spiritual harm—_

_  
I've known that, but not to this extent—_

_Turn back to light and honour and forget this insanity! Do not turn to darkness for your hopes, Reis Dular! It holds nothing but false promises of power and deceitful incentives. It is not too late to turn back now._

_I will when I can._

Gulping down a large amount of her own blood, Reis tasted the familiar metallic taste; the blood flow seemed to lessen and she could stand straight once more, though the crimson fluid still trickled down her throat. Wiping her ruby-red lips, Reis waved to the rest of the guardians, indicating that she was quite healthy. Her face was pale with the lack of blood, and appeared rather strained; pain was biting at her previously-torn neck.

Using the spear as a walking stick, Reis struggled on towards the river in the distance; it wasn't that far away. She felt a supporting arm under her shoulder, and another on the other side. Auron and Kimahri were hoisting her up, lifting her up, and carrying her forward.

'Moonflow ahead,' Kimahri growled, his feline visage extremely large in Reis' sight, 'Safety for you,'

'Thank you,' Reis mumbled, concentrating to see further ahead. The river was covered in thousands, maybe millions of sparkling, shining, glimmering pyreflies, dancing and flying thickly over the surface of the clear, calm river.

_I can see why this place is called Moonflow…it's as though the moon and the stars have descended into the river and mingle together, playing together in a series of rippling, moving images…It's…beautiful. Nothing short of it._

Washing her face surreptitiously to remove the blood on her cheeks and chin, Reis stared at her own reflection. Her face was weary-looking and thin, cheekbones clearly visible; there were unmistakable dark areas underneath her eyes, and cracked lips, streaked with the crimson of blood and the ruby of her lips. Licking them, she couldn't believe what she saw.

_I…I've got the appearance of a tired woman…I'm not that tired…am I? I do not feel tired, and not at all sleepy. I don't feel like a…normal human. I don't feel any tiredness. I don't feel pain to the extent that most humans say that it 'hurts'. All I know is agony. When all hurts exceed the human limits. How well I know that…_

Slumping down against a tree, Reis wept over her form; she wanted her old, youthful form back; she hated her own appearance as it was now, longing for her previous appearance.

_I've had enough. I want to see my old form back. I don't want this, I don't want further agony. I don't want further pain. I don't like the way I think now. I hate myself._

_Then your wish is granted. Glabados has granted your wish. Live a good life and don't make the same mistake as you did before. Turn away from darkness, Reis. The light deserves you more._

'Reis!' Yuna squealed, 'What's going on?'

A brilliant white light enveloped the form of the dragoner, blinding, intense. Dark crystal turned to semi-translucent diamond, inlaid with gold and adamantine; a circlet of the finest rubies and purest gold adorned her knee-length golden blonde hair, chain links of adamantine dangling over her ears; scales of silvery steel covered her upper arms, a plate of silver protecting her elbow. White wings burst forth from her back, silver feathers drifting slowly down from the sky as some were catapulted upwards. Catching one in her smooth white hand, Reis stared up at the sky.

_Thank you…Lord…_

A sudden shattering noise broke her contemplation; the dark crystal spear had shattered, leaving in its stead a pair of swords, five feet in length apiece; made of a strange, glowing material, Reis grasped them cautiously, twirling each with both hands.

_They're…beautifully made…the lily of the valley is engraved on the hilt, perfectly detailed in every way, as though it were the impression of the real plant pressed into the metal; runic inscriptions are drawn into the blade, giving off a silvery glow. This…is finer than any blade I can ever make._

'Now you look like a real crusader, Reis,' Auron said, behind his usual thick scarf. Pushing his dark glasses up, he whistled as he purchased some tickets from a strange person next to a vast creature, ducking as the creature's tail whistled past his head.

'It's a shoopuf! I haven't ridden one for years,' Yuna giggled, 'I remember when I fell into the water,'

'Yes…and so did I. Your father, Lord Braska, laughed when you fell in, although I was responsible for it. You had so much fun in the water, and when the shoopuf picked you up with its trunk, he decided to let me go unpunished,' Lulu said, smiling.

'Let's go, people,' Tidus shouted, punching the air, 'This is going to be a fun ride,'

Queuing up for the ride, people pointed at Reis as they saw her wings; one actually asked her if she was an angel sent by Yevon to guard Yuna. Smiling, the dragoner answered that she did not worship Yevon, and that she was not an angel either, just a woman, leaving the child puzzled where he stood. Concealing her wings, Reis sheathed both of her swords and sat down in the carriage seat of the shoopuf.

'Your father, Tidus…I remembered his foolish act here. He drank a rather large amount of wine before the trip, and thought that the shoopuf was a fiend; he struck it with that sword that you have now. We, that is to say, Lord Braska and I—we had to pay for the damages that it caused. From that point on, he never drank again,'

_They remember things that happened long ago here…_

A sudden, violent movement rocked the wooden carriage that they were on; the shoopuf blared and bucked, the rider thrown forcibly into the water; a second, more violent shock later, and Yuna had fallen off the carriage. Diving after her, Tidus, Wakka and Reis prepared for a fight with whatever it was; Reis diving in with her double blades held on either side, like wings on a diving kingfisher.

A six-legged machina held Yuna hostage in a bubble of orange material; a single, red sensor faced them, scanning their appearances. Drawing out their weapons, the group prepared for a battle.

Swooping forward with the blades held like a fish's fins, Reis slashed viciously at one leg, the swords cleaving the metal limb clean in two, sparks flying off the edges as the shining blades ground against one another; the severed metal part sank further down, before exploding in a violent blast that sent a wave of force through the water.

_This isn't comfortable…my underwear is getting wet…I will end it quickly._

'_Flare!' Reis thought, holding her palm out, the blade still grasped in between her thumb and index finger._

A violent blast rocked the water, sending a shockwave that sent Tidus and Wakka rolling backwards through the river. Some paint had peeled off their mechanical opponent; and another leg had been obliterated, while two others were severely damaged, wires and pipes protruding from under the metal armour plating.

Deftly dodging a blow from one of the legs, Reis moved towards the machina when—

_Wham. _A sudden strike from the other, directly to the front of her face. Feeling a bleeding, broken nose, Reis swam backwards, the slightly salty water adding a sting to the wound.

_You must not relapse into darkness, Reis. Discard the anger that you hold. Follow the light._

'_Life's refreshing breeze, blow in energy! Cure!' _she thought, tapping her nose with her left blade. Mending as it was before, her nose stopped bleeding.

She met a blow from the machina's leg with one sword; swinging her other in a broad arc, she severed it completely. Parrying blows from the mechanical construct, Reis thrust her right sword into the main body of it; plunging the other repeatedly into the hard metal shell, slashing blindly into the steel plating.

Striking something softer than metal, Reis looked at where she had been hacking away before; a plume of red streaked slowly outwards from the incision that she had made into the metal construct, sparks flying from the severed wires that she had struck in her blind rampage. Extracting both swords from the hard outer plating, Reis quickly swam to the orange globe that held Yuna; with a few powerful swings of one sword, she was able to destroy the links that chained down the sphere to the construct.

_Let's get out of here, _Reis motioned; pointing at the sphere, and up to the surface, Tidus and Wakka nodded; each supporting the sphere, they pushed the glassy prison to the surface; glancing down, she watched the machina sink to its watery grave, beneath a lost city of rusted, algae-covered stone.

'Ahh!' Reis gasped, her head breaking the smooth surface of the water, her knee-length hair plastered against her back, 'Yuna's alright! We've rescued her!'

Stretching her wings once more, Reis leaped out of the water, spreading the white-feathered wings to catch the fresh breeze. Picking up the sphere with both hands, she hoisted it over the shoopuf, both wings beating madly to support the weight of Yuna and her prison.

_The wind's cold and even worse when you're wet. Still, I've rescued Yuna from that…whatever that was. I…I feel better. Now that I've thought about the good that I can do._


	42. Relapse

**Beware: STRONG SCENES OF VIOLENCE IN THIS CHAPTER. DO NOT READ ON IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF BLOOD AND GORE. RATED M.**

_What's going on…? Why's there blood on my sword?_

_There're bodies around me. Covered in blood._

_I try to yell a word that I don't know what I'm trying to say. At a person I cannot see._

_My heartbeat I can feel…every single one. The living throb of the heart I feel on a person beside me; I feel…her grasp on my hand._

_I can't see her face even though I turn to face her. All I can see is red, a dark, ruby red; the liquid that I've seen all too often._

_Voluminous robes I can see on her body though; at her chest pierced by a severe stab from a razor sharp blade. This…eerily seems to be someone I've seen recently. A person I have not known for long…although how can I be sure?_

_I feel cold snow under my feet. Soft and yielding; just like flesh when cut by a knife. It's spattered with crimson fluid._

_I fell down, as though I had been struck down by something hard; and yet, I feel no pain. Is this real?_

'_You're lost,' the cold voice of Auron said, 'You're lost to the light,'_

_How am I?_

_I feel myself dragging my sword through the snow, unable to control my own movement. A split second later, I was exchanging blows with Auron, red liquid clouding my vision…this…is quickly becoming unnervingly hellish._

_Enough. I've seen enough._

'Argh!' Reis screamed, whipping out a dagger from under her robes, panting heavily. Yuna woke up hastily in the bed next to her, looking with mixed curiosity and alarm at Reis' sudden movement and scream. Wiping cold sweat from her forehead, Reis stood up from the bed in Guadosalam; leaning weakly against a wall, she ran her fingers through her hair, and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

_Alright, this is reality. This hurts._

'Thank goodness,' Reis sighed, before slipping the dagger back under her robes and climbing back into the bed.

'About what, Reis?' Yuna asked, sitting on the edge of her mattress, 'You seemed distressed,'

'It…it's nothing,' Reis stuttered, realising the close resemblance of the dead woman in her dream, 'Just…a nightmare. Yes, just a nightmare,'

'Tell me about it. I might be able to see something in it,'

'You don't need to know about it,' Reis said, with some finality, wrapping herself up in the blankets, 'It's something I should keep to myself,'

'Just—'

'No,'

'Not even a--'

'No, Yuna,'

Pretending to be asleep, Reis wondered about the meaning of the dream. This was no ordinary vision; not one that was of no importance. The sword covered in blood…oddly resembled one of her own blades, though distorted in some indescribable way.

_No. I mustn't think about the worst. I'll let that pass by, and hope that will never happen. The sword I saw in my dream was not mine, and the woman is not Yuna. And I'll hope that I wasn't seeing through my own vision._

_Take a deep breath, Reis. Calm down._

_What was that place where I saw my beloved once more? The far-plain or something like that…if I could see the dead from Ivalice, then…this world is somehow linked with mine. How…how…that is what I want to know. It's certainly not in the physical sense; I've never heard of a creature called 'Sin' until I've arrived on Spira's shores…_

_Or is it only through the dead? Do we share the same under- and over- world? Come to think of it…the book of the dead possessed four corners; one of those must correspond to the far-plain…if that is so, then the far-plain is a gateway into the afterlife; and if that's correct…I can rescue him, pull him out of there…_

_End his suffering. Yes._

_That's what I'll do._

_End his suffering._

_It's what I've been trying to do._

Creeping out from under her bedcovers, Reis extricated her twin blades from underneath her bed, silently as to not wake up Yuna; it would have been disastrous if a 'guardian' of Yuna had been caught deserting her. Even though Reis had quit, many that see her still believe that she remains a faithful defender of the summoner.

_Easy…easy…there. Door closed silently, and Yuna's still in her bed._

Walking down the dark streets of the Guado town, Reis wandered the winding and twisting underground paths of it, occasionally bumping into a dead end. Finally, she had found the Farplane's gateway; a circular wall of glowing pinkish light. Spotting a flash of light to her right, Reis instinctively swung one blade at it, finding a Guado rogue in the shadows, the tip of the sword at his throat.

'Don't make me use this on you, you low-down fool,' she spat, advancing on the Guado, who had now thrown down his knife and held up both hands, 'It's not worth spilling your blood with its holy edge,'

'Pardon, pardon, I did it out of sheer desperation; my family is poor, and I need--'

'Get to the point,' Reis said, almost silently.

'Alright, alright, it was Maester—aarrrggh!' the guado stuttered, cut short mid-sentence as his face melted away by some unknown force; only his skull was left behind, smouldering, whiffs of smoke rising gently from the grey bone.

_A Maester sent an assassin to kill me. How nice. If they wanted to do that…why didn't they go for Yuna? Why me?_

'Rest in peace, poor fool,' Reis muttered, in mixed pity and disgust, crystallising the corpse with a single touch of her hand. Turning towards the pink circle of the Farplane at the end of the tunnel, she sheathed one sword, holding the other in both hands at her side in caution.

_I want to speak to Beowulf…but what's this on the ground? A sphere, like the one I saw Yuna peer into to see an image…I'll keep it for now, who knows what it may hold._

'Beowulf,' she said, embracing the ethereal image of her beloved in her arms, 'I need to talk to you,'

'The dead will not answer back,' a curt voice said behind her, cool and almost accusative.

'Lulu!' Reis yelped, whipping around on her heels, 'I didn't know you would be here,'

'You've better a good reason to leave Yuna unprotected in the inn,' she hissed, 'As a guardian-'

'You're wrong there, Lulu…I am no longer a guardian, you should already know that,' Reis interjected, 'I may go wherever I please myself,'

'You are correct there, except for one detail,' Lulu said, a hint of impatience running through her words, 'You have promised to Yuna that you will stay with her until we arrive at Macalania,'

_I did promise that…_

'I'm sorry,'

'Go apologise to Yuna for breaking your promise. Now. Go now,'

Running down the dark street, she leapt over the balcony and straight down in front of the inn.

_Honour is my pledge._

Opening the door, she entered the room, where Yuna was sleeping peacefully in a bed, under covers; the dark room showed little of her.

_Truth is my shield._

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the sleeping figure; a dark shadow was moving in the corner, slightly illuminated by the wavering candle-light.

_Protection is my oath._

Charging forward with a wild cry, Reis struck the dark figure with her fist; looking up, she snarled and slammed the body against the timber wall, pressing the person hard against the solid wood. She felt a flash of pain as a knife passed into her stomach, three or four times; staggering backwards, Reis plunged her right sword into the wall, missing her target in her hazy-visioned rage. Taking careful aim, she threw her left sword inches toward her fleeing opponent, the point penetrating his back and its momentum throwing the villain into the wall, suspended by the blade.

_And I will keep these promises, to my death I will._

A Guado assassin was pinned against the wall, his head and limbs limp; in one hand he held a dagger with a sickly green fluid coating. Blood dripped gently onto the floor with a steady _drip drip_, out of the wound in his chest. Yuna blinked dazedly at first; finding a razor-sharp blade in front of her eyes, and a Guado corpse next to her, she let out a frightened scream; Reis quickly ran towards her and clapped a hand to Yuna's mouth.

Suppressing an agonised hiss, Reis quickly healed her wound with a quick Cure spell, sealing the bleeding ruptures in her flesh, as well as removing the poison.

'It's alright…but I'm sorry all the same. For leaving you alone. Had I not come back earlier from the far-plain, I would have failed my promise to you,' Reis said, wiping the tears leaking out of Yuna's eyes, 'Calm down, it's alright,'

_No, it's not. I may have protected her, but a promise is a promise. I've broken my promise to stay with her until I arrive at Macalania temple._

'What…what's happened? Why's there a dead…Guado…on the wall, and your sword in his chest?' Yuna stammered, unable to calm down.

'I'm sorry,' Reis said expressionlessly, pulling the sword out of the dead corpse and crystallising it with a touch of her hand, 'I left you for a while, thinking that nothing will happen; I guess I was wrong. Well, at least you're safe,'

'…'

'I've made a promise, Yuna,' Reis continued, avoiding her gaze, staring at her feet, 'I've made a promise to you—that I would never leave until we have arrived at Macalania temple. It seems that I have broken that promise,'

'That is alright…'

'I went to the far-plain to see my beloved there,'

'We all want to do that, don't we? I don't blame you for trying to go there,'

'Well…I'm just explaining why I went away. Seeing that you're still safe, I think we should just forget about this,'

'Reis…there's something I'd like to ask you,' Yuna started, stopping the dragoner with her hand, 'You turned his body to a crystal with a touch of your hand. Is that…common where you came from? Like a sending?'

'Yes, and no,' Reis said, scratching her head, pondering for a correct answer, 'Our dead turn to crystals after some time—and we inherit their spirits by touching them. A sending…sends their souls to the afterlife, right? I don't really know if all our dead arrive at the afterlife; the only person I've been able to call up at the far-plain was Beowulf, my fiancé,'

'I see,' Yuna whispered softly, 'You claim that you arrive from a different world; our dead arrive at the Farplane as soon as we send them. However, one of your dead is at our Farplane; this can only mean that there is a certain link between our two worlds, right?'

_That's what I've been thinking…if she can think so, then I must be right._

'Get some sleep, you need it,'

Tucking herself into the bed next to Yuna's bed, Reis tucked her two swords neatly under the hand-carved wooden wardrobe, curling up under the warm woolen bedcovers. Being a taller-than-average woman, she bumped her head quite hard on the headboard; rubbing the throbbing lump on her head, she curled up further, letting herself fall into the arms of peaceful slumber.

_I hear rapid breathing.  
_

_It's very close…very close to me. There's whitish puffs of smoke coming from my breath._

_I stare at my hands; they're covered in crimson bloodstains, dripping gently onto the soft white snow beneath._

_I turn around; there are several dead people around me; there's a hand sticking over the edge of a crevasse, scratching futilely at the hard-packed icy edge. An ear-splitting scream later, the hand disappears, followed by a splash._

_There's a person in voluminous robes in front of me; blood's all over the snow, the silken cloth tattered by some sharp instrument._

_I kneel over the person, speaking some words I can't hear._

'_It's all your fault, it's all your fault,' is all I hear from the person as I grasp her hands in mine; I feel tears trailing down my cheeks. Why am I crying for a person I don't even know?_

_I stagger forward, blinding pain coming from my back…_

_  
Stop it…I don't want to see any more of this…why is this happening to me?_

'Reis?' Yuna shouted, sounding as though in panic, 'Reis!'

'What happened…?' Reis moaned, wiping cold sweat from her forehead.

'You were...forget about it, it's nothing…'

_Another nightmare…just like the one I saw before. Is there something special about it?_

'Reis,' Yuna said firmly, 'You need to tell me what's going on. This is nothing like you. Something is bothering you. Tell me about it,'

'…'

'Please, Reis,'

'I saw you in my dreams,' Reis said lamely, 'Covered in blood and fatally wounded by a sword,'

Taken aback by these words, Yuna bowed her head, pondering the meaning of this grim portent; if dreams were said to be a window to the future, then this would be a most unpleasant one indeed.

'I think we should go. Now,' Yuna said, 'We'll get to Macalania temple to seek out Maester Seymour. He should know what to do. Get the others together, we're leaving now,'

_That's a good decision. I don't like this town, not one bit._

Creeping into the inn foyer, Reis watched over her shoulder for Yuna when the large body of Kimahri was thrown against the counter; blood was pouring from his head, staining the painted wooden table red. Shocked, Reis ran to Kimahri's still body, unaware of the deadly danger outside.

_Thwick!_

A steel dagger pierced her forearm, where she had held Kimahri in an attempt to revive the giant two-legged cat; the glaring face of a Guado, hunger for money highlighted in his glowing green eyes, straight in front of her nose; a fist slammed into her finely-chiseled features, causing copious amounts of blood to spill from her nose.

_I WILL NOT SUFFER FOR FOOLS LIKE THIS ANY LONGER!_

Drawing her swords with perhaps excessive force, Reis destroyed a pillar in the process; slashing wildly at the assassin, a razor-sharp guillotine buried itself in the staircase, missing its target neck by mere inches. Bringing the other down with equal rage, she cleaved the crouching assassin clean in two, blood pooling at the crumpled pile of flesh and bone. Freeing the sword enjambed in the staircase with a kick, she spat fire at the corpse, eradicating the bloody remains with holy flame.

Ignoring the escalating pain in her wounded arm, she turned to Kimahri; there were two daggers in his neck; feeling his chest, she was nearly certain that there had been some blunt instrument used to break his ribs to powder. Alarmed, Yuna ran out of the inn's back room, checking Kimahri for any signs of life. Shaking her head, she drew out his soul and sent it to the Farplane, a place to rest in turbulent times.

_Isn't that we all want…to perish and die so we can rest forever in either the fires of hell or the glory of heaven. I myself am no different; I search for a way to find happiness in this world. If it were not for the wishes of my beloved, I would have slit my own throat by now. I've had many chances to die; and yet…I haven't. It's as though there's a divine protection over me._

'Let's get out of here, Yuna,' Reis said, biting back the growing rage and anger within herself as she snatched out the knife embedded in her flesh, 'Let's just get you out of here so that you can be safe,'

'But what about…' she protested,

'No time for it, let's go,'

'The other guardians,'

'They can look after themselves. Now let's go, before they get you too. Kimahri was probably taken as he was foolish,'

'Alright…'

Running out into the dark streets of the Guado town, Reis parried the hail of blows coming from two Guado bounty hunters out to murder her and Yuna; skillfully severing the hand of one, she quickly turned the tide of the fight, bashing the other's fist with her own, causing him to yell in pain as his bones were crushed by a dragoner's steel-hard knuckles, inherited from her dragon ancestors.

'I will not let you rest in peace; but rather, in pieces!' she yelled, severing their feet with a double sweep of her double swords, 'Fiends of hell, you uncivilised barbarians!'

'Reis, we can't afford to waste any time! Auron needs your help, up there!' Yuna yelled to the enraged dragoner; she had been mutilating the shredded corpses with abandon, shouting profanities with each earth-shattering blow she dealt.

'Right…' she hissed, spitting on the pile of chopped-up limbs, 'I've got to help Auron now,'

Roaring, she stunned the guardian and his three opponents in mid-parry; the guardian had been pushed nearly against the rock wall of the street, his own blade pushing against three Guado daggers. Sweeping her blades in two neat movements, Reis cleaved three heads with one, impaling the bodies with the other blade. Blood began to seep through her robes as she did this, staining the silvery cloth red.

Not uttering a single word, Reis stalked down the road, indiscriminately obliterating every Guado she met, ignoring the pleas of Yuna to stop; assassin or not, she was tired of them; their ploys and politics she did not want to know.

She wanted them all dead.

And she was the instrument to do so.

If dispatching them was her job, she will do it…

For Beowulf, or not for Beowulf…

The shine of natural light could be seen on the ascending side of the cavern; there were hundreds of bodies left behind, mutilated, in the wake of the dragoner's unstoppable wrath; she felt her blood boiling, and that was her only response.

To kill.

To destroy.

To annihilate.

'Have you noticed,' Auron muttered,

'What?' Reis snapped, felling a tree next to her with a furious thrust of her left sword; it fell with a thunderous crash, 'Is it another comment about me?'

'Yes, unfortunately. You're…becoming more like Sin every day that I meet you,'

'How so?' she snapped once more, vaporising the fallen timber with a Flare spell,

'Your destructive power is showing more and more…and your healing ones, though potent, are waning. Or have I not seen them enough?'

'I am only executing orders,' she said dismissively, 'I kill to protect Yuna. Nothing more. Nothing less,'

'Then what about the innocent Guado that you killed? The children and the women? The old Guado?' Auron shouted, 'You're nothing more than a heartless murderer!'

She laughed bitterly.

'And you're not one?' she mocked, 'You're not a heartless murderer, who kills these monsters that I have heard to be once human? Auron. We're the same. We kill. We destroy. Don't say that you're not one,'

'I am not one,' Auron said, 'I am not a murderer…for I kill at my discretion at whether I should kill or not. You, however, do so without any concern…'

'Shut it,' she hissed, her sword flashing up to Auron's neck in a fraction of a second, barely nicking his skin, 'I don't want to hear this rubbish any more,'

'It is a shame,' Auron said calmly still, parrying Reis' sword with his own katana, 'That such a great swordswoman should fall prey to the traps of darkness,'

'You say I have,' Reis spat, 'Prove it,'

'I will…now. En garde!'

Swinging his katana with all his might, Auron attempted to disarm the dragoner, who quickly spun and threw her weight to the side. Though lighter by far, Reis was able to ram her shoulder into the man's side; the spiked guards of her pauldron driven into his leather undergarment. Pushing him away, the dragoner sheathed one sword.

'It is not like me to be unfair, especially to one I know,' she sneered, smiling coldly, 'Though being fair does not constitute not having to exterminate you,'

'Exterminate? As though I am an animal? I think not,'

Using both hands on her sword, Reis hammered down against Auron's defending blade, while Yuna cried out her protests. Reis could see her opponent wearing down; now was her chance…

'Dead, you are now!' she screamed, letting go a kick to the man's shins; bringing down the shining sword, she buried it into the soft white sand of the riverbank, missing Auron as he rolled to avoid its needle-like tip. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Reis resumed a fighting stance, her two gleaming, golden blonde ponytails streaming in the strong breeze, defiant of their owner's wish to see clearly. Capitalising on this moment of disadvantage, Auron buried his katana into Reis' leg, causing her to crumple down onto the ground in pain.

'Not so quick,' he panted, 'Now I've got the advantage,'

Unsheathing her other sword, Reis began to whip them around madly in a whirlwind of destruction, as though an elephant in a busy marketplace. Backing away from the enraged female, Auron felt several searing gashes across his face, neck and chest; her blade had connected nearly a dozen times when he moved too slowly to avoid them. Stopping, Reis kicked down the guardian with her good leg; limping over the gasping man, she glared at his damaged face.

Quietly, she positioned her sword over the man's heaving chest, uttering the few soft words and softer notes of a vocal requiem she could at one time of her life sing; plunging the blade down, she sealed away the memories of her peaceful past for good.

Now is the time of wrath.

The age of destruction.

The aeon of obliteration.


	43. Descent of Darkness

'That wasn't necessary, Reis,' Yuna wept, over the crumpled body of Auron, 'You didn't have to kill him. He's a fellow guardian as well,'

'I'm only protecting you,' Reis shrugged, 'And if he got in the way, he's dead as well. Simple as that,'

'You're only protecting your pride, Reis,' Yuna cried, 'We've got feelings too—and so do you; but why must you murder others to protect your own feelings? Your own opinions?'

'My opinions? You've never respected them before; I wanted to leave you to your journey and get on with my own before; and what did you say? That I was a guardian and needed to protect you until you completed your journey. You, you, you. It's only you,' Reis hissed vehemently, 'And here I am, serving away to your highness and your majesty, and you refuse to accept what my job is,'

'Your job? It was to protect me, Reis; and not to destroy all in your path,'

'If it were done for your good, you should be happy,'

'My good? It's for your own ego and pride, Reis. You didn't have to kill Auron,'

'Listen,' Reis said, so quietly she almost whispered, placing the tip of her sword at Yuna's throat, 'I do not want any further speech about this. Is that clear?'

'…'

'Good. Now let's get going,'

'You're not going anywhere,' a cold voice said from behind the two bickering women, 'Under the name of Yevon, I arrest you for the crime of massacring the Guado!'

'Maester Seymour,' Yuna pleaded, 'These unnecessary events have not been performed by my orders, I assure you,'

'Silence. Under Guado law, all perpetrators of this heinous crime are to be executed on the spot. However, I have been kind enough to bring you out here—so that you may choose your grave,' Seymour said, beckoning to his guards, 'You will be killed. Here and now, without any further questioning. Be grateful for I have let you choose your own grave,'

_He thinks I'm a flea. Well, I'll show him._

'Reis, calm down…' Yuna whispered from the corner of her mouth, her eyes still fixed on Seymour's cold, unfeeling ones.

'Nothing more—and nothing less—than an immediate execution will suffice. Guards, at them,' Seymour commanded, his mouth curling in a sneer of cold laughter as he watched Yuna's fear-filled face.

_Unleash the power of the dragons!_

Her eyes filled with fiery fury, Reis lunged forward at the closest Guado that she could reach; her blade piercing the flesh and bone of his chest. Snatching the shining sword out of his unmoving, limp body, she deflected a club directed at her head by the Guado to her left. Staring coldly into the Guado's face, filled with the intent to destroy, Reis whipped her blade downwards, tearing through his thin steel breastplate; knocked backwards, stunned and horrified by the force of the blow, he let out a terrified scream, only to be silenced by Reis' slash, delivered across the throat.

'How now, Seymour?' Reis spat, half-laughing, 'Is this what you would call an immediate execution?'

'I will deal with you, later,' Seymour said, his expression unfathomable, 'Infidels. Unbelievers of Yevon,'

'Then your followers shall feel my pain! The pain of one who has lost of all that she had cared for! Flare!'

A seething, swirling mass of searing hot air surged through the crowd of cowering Guado guardians gathered in front of her; uttering one hellish scream as all were incinerated in the inferno. Lowering her still-glowing hand, Reis watched the piles of smoking skeletons vanish in the flame; some lying flat on the ground in a desperate attempt to alleviate the blazing heat. Amplified by rage and the will to destroy, the flare spell cast by Reis had destroyed all in its path, leaving only a thick blanket of dark smoke over the area.

Yuna clung on to Reis' leg, weeping. Would she be branded a heretic, an unbeliever, and infidel? A honorable and upstanding lady, a summoner, a priestess of Yevon; one who had served him unquestioningly for years, whose reputation would be destroyed by a chaotic guardian.

_It was a mistake to take her in, _Yuna thought, _If only I'd listen to Lulu…or Kimahri…they were right after all…she's not a good person, this Reis; no matter how great she is at fighting, close to invulnerable._

'No way…' Reis muttered, grasping her sword again as the form of Seymour remained standing in the place of the once-been inferno; shielded by a sphere of magical protection, he had survived Reis' amplified flare.

'You are indeed no ordinary person,' Seymour sneered through gritted teeth, 'And one…such as you…is fit to be my wife. Yuna; you will no longer be my bride,'

Stunned, Reis looked on as though in a trance as Seymour lifted the sobbing Yuna into the air with one hand and began to choke her throat; remembering her duty, Reis' blade ripped into the flesh of Seymour's back, the red blood streaming into the charred earth.

'You too? You resist me too? Very well…this leaves me no choice but to destroy you both from the face of Spira,'

_He's insane…thinking that I would be his wife. After he had condemned me to be executed. Tch…insane bastard…_

Standing on the riverbank, Seymour began to chant words that Reis could not understand; drawing a circle of light on the ground, he pulled down a chain of darkness from the sky. Screams of pain pulsed from the chain, blood pooling at the surface of the ground where it met; pulling up some unseen load, it creaked and rattled as it ascended back into the heavens.

'Anima! Finish them,' Seymour cackled madly.

_This…is beyond unreal…a corpse, in a half-shut coffin, uttering screams of pain and agony, its eyes gleaming with an arcane red shine…_

A flash of red light, the sound of roaring energy…and the body of Yuna was vaporised in an instant by the gargantuan creature; charred pieces of flesh remaining where her leg once was. Looking up, Reis knew that this was…a battle that she must complete or perish in the process.

'What? Sin!' Seymour yelped, leaping forwards as the gigantic form of Sin rose out of the river behind, a grey mass rising out of blue water.

_This is it. The creature is distracted as Seymour is distracted._

'Might of the heavens and of the underworld, of dawn and dusk…' Reis chanted, plunging one sword into the ground, 'When the dark and light shall unite, the union shall be destruction,'

'What are you saying, foolish woman,' Seymour mocked, 'You are but nothing to the might of the immortal Anima,'

'Power of the soul and of the body, the sun, moon, stars and sky,' Reis continued, her knee-length hair rising, her eyes glowing an intense blue of arcane energy, 'All shall combine to destroy one! Omega Flare!'

Beams of light rained down from above, illuminating the maester's summon, the maester and Sin in a dappled golden glow; flames hailed down among shards of molten reddish rock, a very form of the phoenix shooting downwards with fiery rage, crushing the evil man in one fell swoop; Maester Seymour had been summarily killed, his charred, burning body shown no remorse by the might of the heavens above, the earth underneath opening wide to swallow the flayed, burning corpse into the bowels of hell.

The bombardment of stones and fire continued, matched equally by a fountain of flame from the furnaces of the underworld; meteors fell and blazed large holes into the scaled hulk of Sin; drawn inexorably towards the gaping chasm in the ground, Sin was consumed by a final blast of blazing flame from the hells; its remains shot high into the sky by a towering column of searing hot rock, to return back in ash and cinders.

_It's all over now…Yuna…Kimahri…the guardians…_

Collapsing on the ground, Reis sobbed into her folded arms, realising the enormity of what had happened. She had murdered a guardian loyal to Yuna; she had failed her duty to protect her, and on her own ego destroyed one of the rulers of Spira, and also the scourge of the Spirans, Sin. It was all too much.

_I can't believe this is happening. I've killed a fellow guardian out of a rage I shouldn't have; I've allowed Yuna to die at the hands of Seymour and I've then destroyed both Sin and the Maester with a spell I wasn't supposed to use…_

_You've broken a promise, Reis. Your journey shall not be as smooth as it should be from now on._

_There's no use sitting here crying either. Go to the Farplane, now, and free the wrongly-accused dragoners and your beloved. Go now. By the order of Lord Glabados._

'You're right,' Reis mumbled to herself, 'I've got to go on,'

Moving away from the closing rift in the earth, Reis began to move towards Guadosalam; gritting her teeth knowing that she would have to face bitter opposition there. The Farplane was her only objective; and no other. Trudging through the town, the cobble-stone road clicking beneath her leather boots and the bodies of the mutilated Guado townspeople strewn across the length and breadth of Guadosalam, Reis felt a sense of delirious shame for once in her life—the sin of murder, committed in the mass numbers.

_Surely this would constitute the end of the 'purity' of soul that people have always said I had…_

…_In fact, what is 'purity of soul'? There isn't a single person in this world entirely good. There isn't a single soul entirely evil, on the other hand. I'm just like anybody else—slightly tainted by evil, and on a base of goodness. Nothing more. Nothing less than that._

_I don't understand…what is it about me, that lures people to say that I am pure? I see the ravages of my own acts, acts of destruction enough to make the savage weep. Enough to make the savage weep. To destroy an innocent life…is a sin most unforgivable. And yet I have committed that right here, an hour ago, on a rampage blinded by rage, a massacre driven by anger. Look here; a decapitated body of a Guado child, who has done no more harm to me than he has done to the man with the slit throat next to him._

_Forgive me, lord Glabados, for all the evil I have done to me. Punish me, destroy me, do what you will; but don't harm my Beowulf. I ask only that of you._

Kneeling before the entrance of the Farplane, Reis wept over the threshold of the glowing portal to the otherworld; sparkling fragments of spirits floated by into the glimmering windows circling the portal, vanishing with a slight hiss as they passed through the lustrous circles. Taking a deep breath, she dashed into the portal, appearing on the platform on the other side.

Standing on the edge of the floating rock platform that was the living beings' territory of the afterlife, Reis reached out over the rim of the stone floor; a staircase materialised out of thin air, descending down into the unknown…

**A/N**

**End of Act 3.**


	44. ACT 4: Liberation

Descending the steps of the ever-turning staircase of the afterlife, Reis felt her way down the dark and dangerous path; never had she seen and walked such a treacherous route; the walls were ridged by countless razor-sharp scales, biting into her hands as she probed the way to go by pushing against the stone either side of her. Only a speck of light lit the way from above—a dim star of brightness in the vast ocean of darkness, in a spiral road that led to a place no living being had ever visited. Often the road beneath would give way in a trap that would lead to certain death, a ghastly plunge into the netherworld unseen; her wings preventing her fall each time.

Wiping the cold sweat from her face, Reis felt the warmth of her blood, coming in trickles from her damaged palms; a welcome warmth in the coldness of the shadowed tunnel. Gritting her teeth together and restraining the agony of her ravaged hands, Reis continued along the path, swaying a little with each step, the searing pain and her exhaustion combining to create a most unpleasant sensation.

_Hours, days…even weeks may have passed and I wouldn't know it. This…is nearly like my exile in the coal mines of Goland…dark, cold and unwelcome. My hands…my hands! They're dripping in blood, savaged by the sharp edges of those walls. I must go on…_

_Slay me, destroy me…just end this torture…just end my pain…_

A distant red glow she could see, miles down below; the rim of the giant spiral staircase illuminated in a dull crimson reflection, dark crystalline growths spreading the sunset glare. Limping over to the edge, Reis peered down at the light below. A distant roar she could hear, as though of a lion roaring from some distance away, mixed with the thick bubbling of some viscous liquid.

_I don't care about pain anymore…take me away from this…_

_Then you'd better move, don't you?_

Leaping off the rock staircase, Reis dived directly towards the red glow, her wings tucked close to her back, plastered against the back of her metal breastplate; feeling the wind whistle in her ears, Reis felt a sense of freedom, weightlessness that she had never felt before. Spreading her arms outwards like wings, she dived faster and faster into the bowels of the deep, approaching the crimson glow.

Slowing down to a halt with a grand beat of her broad wings, Reis hovered above a narrow stone bridge suspended above a river of fire and molten rock; silently floating in the semi-darkness. Shielding her eyes from the intense heat and glow of the bubbling and rushing lava, she spied a few archaic demons traveling on the bridge.

_So…the archaic demons, the servants of St. Ajora, the servants of the foulest creature in Ivalice that killed my Beowulf are here…this is promising indeed. If they are here, that means Beowulf should be here too._

Listening silently to their grunts and noises, amid the tumultuous blasts of the lava beneath, Reis slowly hovered closer towards them when a large shard of lava spurted out of the fiery river beneath. Beating furiously to avoid a grisly death at the hands of the blazing projectile, she stared on with apprehension as the archaic demons pointed at her and began stomping away towards one end of the bridge, as fast as they could.

_They're probably going to call for reinforcements. I must silence them!_

Swooping down onto the fleeing demons, dodging flecks of ember and hot ash, Reis unsheathed her right blade, plunging the point into the closest demon's back, turning her face aside as putrid black blood spurted copiously out of the wound. Kicking the corpse into the flames below, she summoned forth a wall of blazing flames in front of the remaining demons.

Turning around, the demons began to advance on Reis, their skeletal features sinister with contortion, their great clenched fists hard with bone. Lunging forward, Reis sought to plunge her blades in one's leathery flesh; only to have her shining swords seized by two hands. Her eyes widening in shock, Reis jerked the blades out of their hands—or rather, _tried _to. A stone-like fist drew back and slammed into her face like a piston, breaking her nose as the knuckles collided.

Stifling the horrible pain as she crashed down onto the hard stony floor by the impact of the strike, she rolled left and right, dodging the demons' slow but powerful blows. Blood was streaming down her face; her blades taken away, she had no option but to run. Pinching her nose with her left hand and fending away the demons' hands with lightning from the other, Reis dashed towards the other end of the bridge, drops of blood staining the rock floor as she ran.

Turning around, she shouted out thickly, 'Holy light, cleanse bloody impurity!'

A beam of intense light shimmered above the demons' heads, before a blazing chain of lightning and energy hailed down from above. Blades of electricity raked the rocks beneath their feet, sparks flying from all angles until it abruptly stopped.

Watching the cloud of smoke and dust clear from the impact zone, Reis' eyes widened in fear as the demons stood in the aftermath of the normally-devastating spell, completely unhurt in any way, shape or form. Staring at one of their gigantic, scale-covered hands, Reis spotted a vortex of darkness, growing in size; realising what it was, she ran for cover at the other end of the cavern.

It was too late. The spell obliterated the bridge middle section with an enormous blast, throwing Reis hard against the wall of the cavern. Slamming against the rock wall, she uttered a loud cry of pain, the razor edges of the rock face scratching her back as she fell down towards the flaming river beneath. Throwing her arm out desperately towards what remained of the bridge, she managed to cling onto it with one hand.

Dangling from the bridge, staring at the river of fire far down below, Reis felt greatly nauseated by the stench of the noxious gases bubbling from the viscous crimson mass beneath; swooning, she nearly lost her grip on the rock. Heaving her other hand over the edge of the bridge, scrabbling desperately at a non-existent handhold, she began to feel the tearing agony that was beginning to plague her arm; an arm that held the rest of her body from certain doom below. Digging her fingers into a crevice, she hoisted herself over the edge, slowly, painfully, her nails broken and shattered by the force of her own weight driven through them into the vice of rock. Bloody-fingered and disheveled, Reis leant weakly against the side of the tunnel at her end of the bridge, healing her broken nose with a touch of her fingers while whispering a light curative spell.

_Those demons resist the power of the heavens. What more can I do against them?_

_They've taken my weapon._

_My magic is useless against them._

_Am I to perish here, this early and unable to get Beowulf back to Ivalice?_

Burying her face in her blood-coated hands, she wept a cascade of tears, drops from her eyes vanishing in the dry and thirsty dust beneath. Sadness filled her bright eyes, a deep, dull, depressed tone within the usual dark blue circle, instead of the flaming fury that usually fueled the fiery brightness within.

_I vowed to take Beowulf out of his misery and back into Ivalice…is it going to end here?_

_It's not going to help if you don't move, Reis._

_What good is it if I go out there searching for him in this netherworld, of which the slightest idea of its shape I don't know?_

_You've seen the map of it before, Reis._

_Alright, then what good is it if I go there and fight a demon without weapons?_

_You've got your fists and your wits. Stop bemoaning your current sufferings; there are people in here that suffer more than you ever will._

Stemming the flow of tears, Reis wandered further down the tunnel, crouching low, her breasts almost grazing the ground as she moved. Stealth was crucial now, not sheer combat power; her attacks were useless with a weapon, let alone without one. Being discovered would be suicide. Peering ahead at the gloomy darkness, she stealthily slinked around the corner, pressing herself close to the smooth black rock that now covered the walls. Listening to the quiet _drip drip_ of the water leak above her head, Reis moved slowly onwards, towards the dim glow in front of her, almost lamp-like in the flickering semi-darkness.

The blazing glow of a furnace met her eyes as she ventured out onto the arcing ramp that led into the Forge of the Gods; she had read about it in one of the chronicles that she had read in Lionel's church; supposedly a legendary place where all the condemned would be sent for recreation in the next life.

'_A grand, open cavern deep beneath the ground, glowing in molten steel and fiery flame, crowned in all the glory of the Underworld,' That seems to summarise just about all that I've read about this place._

Hearing the clanking of steel-shod boots ascending the sweeping road of the underworld, Reis dived behind the closest rock; peering over the jagged teeth of stone, she watched with wary eyes the procession of ultima demons; they must not see her if she is to stay alive.


	45. Suffering and Sacrifice

The river of fire crept on sluggishly as the dragoner clung onto the edge of the rock wall; skeleton guards passed above her, oblivious to her presence. Reis peered at the forge in the centre of the lava lake, suspended by three gigantic chains of steel; constantly drawing molten metal from the pools of radiant liquid beneath.

Beads of sweat began to collect on Reis' face and hands; it wasn't the heat, she had gotten used to that during her days of being a blacksmith. The dread of being discovered, disarmed and outnumbered caused her to shudder in fear, that she would be buried in the bowels of the netherworld forever, without hope for an afterlife.

For the rest of the world, she was already dead--as all in the netherworld are. Not one living creature, not one living person in sight; only demons and their undead servants.

The spirits of those long dead trudged on upon the road above, their translucent faces thin and drawn, nearly skeletal in their features; a shackle of cold black bound their feet, binding their souls to the demons leading them on. Their eyes gazed emptily, hungering for freedom and lasting peace in their lives; rolling aimlessly in their sockets.

_They can see me. They can hear my every movement. I think I see one…looking at me; I can feel his desire to move closer, to hold my living hand, something he hasn't done for a while…_

'Beowulf…?' Reis whispered to herself, spotting a spirit as familiar as familiar could be; this was no other than her dead fiancé. Bound in chains and led by a demon, his pride and honour was cruelly spiked down, waiting for a day when it could break free and unleash his wrath upon his enslavers; desperately struggling to move closer towards Reis, she could see the fire within his semi-transparent eyes, the desire to be with her once more…until a demon's claw grasped his hair gruffly, snatching him back into line.

Holding out a hand towards him, Reis looked on sadly as he was taken away; put into the fortress in front of her.

_I'm so close…and yet I can't do anything. If I still had my weapons, I could've broken in there and set them all free…but I don't have it._

Lowering her hand and gaze, she could feel tears starting to roll down her cheeks; tears of sorrow, tears of separation; separation from a person so important she would die for him.

Lifting herself above the surface, Reis' nose struck something hard; looking dazedly, she discovered a skeleton; its hollowed skull staring without eyes into her face, its ivory coloured bones swathed in a blue leather cuirass.

Face to face, Reis took a frightened step backward; her foot a mere inch away from the edge of the cliff, a long fall down to the fiery lake beneath. Gnashing its teeth furiously, the skeleton advanced, its rusty short sword raised, ready to strike. Deftly sidestepping the slash, Reis wrested the sword out of the skeleton's hands; rusted though the weapon was, it was better than nothing.

Lowering its shoulder, the skeleton made a dash at Reis, easily dodged; grasping the skeleton's hand, the dragoner threw the undead soldier over her shoulder, catapulting it into the lava beneath. The molten rock hissed and boiled violently as the skeleton was consumed in the flames; wisps of smoke floated gently up to the ceiling, fading away as it seeped to the world above.

'You used to be just like me, a living creature, with feelings, a soul and a life. Do you still remember it? Or have any of it left?' Reis mused, watching the bubbling fires.

_This place must be purged clean. Somehow, one way or another. The undead used to be living beings; it is right to restore their rightful place in the afterlife, not under demonic slavers nor the Lucavi._

The hot air drafts rising from the seething mass of glowing red beneath suspended Reis, who searched the solid walls for a sign of weakness. Age-worn as the walls were, every block of black stone fitted without a gap nor a single trace of faulting; it was smooth and solid. Much like the walls of Bethla Garrison.

_If it's like this…then there's a weakness where the holes are, where the archers are supposed to stay. I'll try breaking in from one of those…_

Catching a sudden burst of hot air, Reis was thrown violently upwards; a blast from the lava beneath had sent a spiralling column of molten rock dangerously close to her. Everything was clearly visible from above, although she didn't like how she got there.

_I can see it…two just above the gates._

With a prayer upon her lips, Reis dived downwards, accelerating, speeding ever quicker; her wings were bent almost in line with her body, her arms were stretched outwards; a faint glow spread from her palms, like an ethereal shield conjured from the air. Bracing for impact, she bit down on her lip and—

Crash.

The impact had left a horrible numbness in her arms; the shield she conjured had protected her from most of the damage, although there was a deep gash along her right arm where a shard of masonry had broken off and slashed a wound there.

_No time to worry about this scratch; I've managed to break into the forge, that's what matters. I've got to hide now; the guards have probably heard the noise I made breaking in here. _

Brushing the debris off her armour, Reis looked around the room; there were spears and swords placed in racks, carelessly stacked against the wall and even a pair of scimitars suspended above the door. All were branded with the seal of the black angel, grotesquely smeared with silvery, faded blood.

She sniffed the blood-stained seal on the closest spear.

_Human blood._

_They've been sacrificing human souls…it must be for some demonic ritual. I can't stop now; I must act quickly before Beowulf faces the same fate as those whose blood is here. _

Tap-tap-tap.

_Footsteps. Not just one, either._

Flattening herself against the wall near the door, Reis silently stole a sword from the closest rack; the footsteps were coming closer. The rank smell of rotten flesh wafted into the room; she could see flies hanging about the doorway, a hand clutching the jamb—

'In the name of Glabados!' Reis screamed, impaling the zombie's chest with a thrust of the sword. A hard bone fist found its way to Reis' nose as a skeleton punched her; blood dribbled onto her lips as the blow connected. Striking back with the pommel stone in retaliation, Reis rushed out through the door; kicking aside the destroyed undead remains. She slumped down in a recess in the wall, nursing a bleeding nose.

_That's faster than I thought. I guess I'm not going to be safe…_

'The intruder is here somewhere—find and destroy her!'

_Should I risk it…?_

A shadow moved across the wall, horned and menacing; gigantic claws raised as though to strike. Reis slid further into the recess, into the dark crevice between the stone blocks; a claw reached in from outside it, she could see the grime and dried, matted blood on it—

_No other choice!_

Grasping the limb, Reis brought down her elbow; the demon howled in pain as its bones shattered with a sickening crack. Hurling the bulky creature to the ground, the dragoner slammed its head against the stone floor, ignoring the hail of blows it threw at her body. A sudden kick threw her against the wall; she heard a snapping noise as though of a stick splintering under the weight of a heavy stone; she felt each breath becoming short and painful, stabbing pains at her ribs; and after the stone-like fist pounded into her face, she knew no more.

---

'Speak up, human fool,' the gruff voice spoke, grasping Reis by her head, lifting it up, 'Why and how did you come here?'

_What is he asking me…? I can't hear that well…_

'Speak!'

Reis cried out as a blow connected with her chest; panting, she regained her composure. Chains tied her hands and feet down to the blood-spattered floor; chains made of bones.

'Tell me now, human,'

Another blow struck her harder yet, this time in her stomach; Reis retched, and felt a surge of fluid exit her mouth. Gasping for air, the dragoner looked up at her tormentor; a cackling, foul-mouthed archaic demon, spitting in her face.

'That's for shaking my hand, human; feel lucky that I don't feel like killing you just yet,'

'Give her a hundred lashes,' a cold voice rasped from a corner, 'For banishing me back into this hole. I! The great one, destined to rule the world, banished into the bowels of Ivalice. I will not have such treachery!'

_Ajora…so he still exists…_

Reis stared at Ajora in silence, hatred within her eyes while the demon in front of her tosses away the whip he held in his hand. Her expression of rage quickly turned to horror as she saw the grotesque hand pick up the steel-shod handle of a nine-headed whip, red-hot and gleaming.

'We shall see how much pain you can endure,' Ajora cackled, amused at the expression on Reis' face, 'Don't worry; you'll be one of my undead servants soon,'

The whip descended with undeniable force upon the dragoner's bare back; each time tearing skin and flesh, the red hot metal tips searing the wound afterwards. Blood began to flow from the numerous scars the nine-headed whip traced through the ivory skin, dripping onto the floor as the demon counted twenty. He stopped for a second, sneering in Reis' face; before wiping a finger across an open wound and licking the blood-smeared finger.

'Tastier than most other humans,' the demon spoke, licking his lips, 'You're going to spill more of your blood for me, human,'

Reis closed her eyes and prayed for protection as the whip descended again; the pain surged through her mind with each lash, torturous and excruciating.

'Stop!' Ajora said, almost lisping; he drew a knife from his belt; the demon stepped back, the dragoner's blood spattered all over his body, 'I'll take over from here,'

'You're not coming out of here alive, half-dragon fool,' Ajora snarled in Reis' face, grasping her cheeks with an iron grip.

A piercing scream echoed around the stone halls of the forge as Ajora drew his knife across Reis' face in a vicious slash; a deep cut stretched across her face from her left eye to her nose. Whimpering in agony, Reis struggled to see through the blood in her eyes, blinking madly to get the stinging liquid out.

'Take her away,' Ajora spat, sheathing his knife and kicking Reis in the ribs.


	46. Epilogue: A shattered soul

_December 24th, Year 1486 in the year of our lord Glabados _

_It's been some time since that day…_

_The day when she sacrificed everything to save us. Her blood given up to salvage us from the eternal darkness of slavery that we were destined for._

_High Priest Funeral was with us as well, on that day. He had perished at the hands of the corrupt Shrine Knights; now resurrected by the power of the great sacrifice, he had removed the heretic's name from all of our souls. Heh…as if he really had the power to do so. He's merely a man; a man who believes he has true power. Power comes at a cost; a cost of your conscience, of your life, of your friends. I've witnessed that first hand now._

_What Reis had done…was beyond the call of duty. I would have never done that myself, let alone other, lesser men; to sacrifice one's own soul, one's own life and afterlife to bind another into eternal captivity…that was a burden far too much for one as noble of heart as her._

_She knew few of the prisoners._

_Yet she still saved them._

_Both of them, bound in one crystal,_

_One fate, one conflict for eternity._

_I held that stone, while it was still warm in her blood; the blood that spurted profusely from the mortal wound she inflicted upon herself. I could hear her suffering, her anguish and her pain; though the stone was silent, I can still hear her thoughts. I also felt the burning rage, the fiery hatred and the blazing fury of the other locked within the crystal, struggling to get out, fighting the unyielding barrier. It was…comparable to a heretic's torture._

_Today I bring that letter, though little it means now; that letter you had been waiting for, that letter of freedom. The removal of the heresy against your name. Even though there's no body in the grave, I still hope that you're not harmed in any way._

_I leave the note at your tomb, though little it means now; a little parting gift for a task too great. A red rose I leave as well, to mark our union. Today was meant to be our wedding, planned years ago; delayed by my death, and now by yours. Life is strange, isn't it…_

_Your swords, Soultaker and Liberator, grieve for you as well…though they may be inanimate objects, I can feel the sadness and emptiness every time I hold their handles. It's as though there's no fire within them, none of that fire that I saw when you used them. Come to think of it, I don't understand how you can bear to use Soultaker; the screams of a thousand dead fill my ears when I grasp the hilt, and a thousand more agonised groans when I slay another creature._

_I shall leave those swords locked within the cabinet of your belongings within my house, in the hope that you shall rise again; though little it may be, I've known you for long enough that some strange things may happen. Like when I felt the presence of a dragon within you every time I kissed you; I got too used to it, and when I thought I was kissing you in the darkness, it was a real, living, little dragon. Oh, the times we had._

_In Lionel I shall wait for you;_

_Forever shall I long for you._

_  
Never shall your memories leave me;_

_Lest I feel the stings of a thousand bees._

_Yours sincerely,_

_A soldier forever faithful to your words._


End file.
